Free for members
Ickworth, outside Bury St Edmunds, is one of the strangest country houses in England: a great domed Rotunda begun in 1795 for Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry, to house the art he gathered on his European travels, with curving wings either side. The house passed to the National Trust in 1956 with its Georgian silver, Regency furniture and paintings. The state rooms take under an hour, leaving time for the Italianate garden and stumpery behind the Rotunda, the rose garden and walled garden, and 1,800 acres of parkland partly laid out by Capability Brown, with the popular Albana Walk, the quieter Lownde Wood loop, an all-weather path used by cyclists, and dogs on leads welcome everywhere outside the house. Reviewers praise the knowledgeable guides, the firm well-signed tracks and the two cafes, with Porter's Lodge the dog-friendly stop. Tips from visitors: follow the brown signs through Horringer rather than the postcode, and ask in the library about the handwritten records of Parliament that predate Hansard.
Servant's Quarters
Later dates are in the calendar.
Prices, non-members
Free entry for National Trust members. Day visitors will require an admission ticket to access the Estate, giving you entry to all areas open on the day of your visit as per our opening times. Some activities may incur an additional cost - please see our things to see and do page for more information on events and cycle hire at Ickworth.
Ickworth Estate is open all year round with the exception of January 26 and December 24 and 25, or in the case of adverse weather. Please check here on the day of your visit for last minute changes. *Between March-November as much of the house will be as open as possible, depending on our volunteer numbers. ** House Tours take place at varying times between January-November and are bookable under the Things to see and do/Events page. House opening times may change at short notice, while we update our fire alarm system.
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Dogs, with restrictions
1.9 miles (3.04km), easy, 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Firm underfoot with some tree roots, may be muddy in wet weather, suitable footwear advised. Suitable for mobility scooters and pushchairs, though gradients on the lower loop may be challenging for wheelchair users. Starts at Porter's Lodge, grid reference TL8154161537.
Dogs, with restrictions
1.8 miles (2.88km), moderate, 35 minutes to 1 hour. Starts at Porter's Lodge, grid reference TL8154161537; address Ickworth Estate, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 5QE. Can be reached on foot 4.5 miles via footpaths from Bury St Edmunds through Horringer village.
Dogs, with restrictions
3.02 miles (4.83km), moderate, 1 to 2 hours. Starts at the car park, grid reference TL814616; address Ickworth Estate, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 5QE, about 3 miles from Bury St Edmunds station. Dog bins near the car park, deer park gate, walled garden and point 3.
Dogs, with restrictions
2.93 miles (4.69km), moderate, 1 to 2 hours, twelve stages. Starts at the car park, grid reference TL 814616. Dog bins at the car park, Ickworth Lodge, points 5 and 9, the walled garden and the deer park gate.
Dogs, with restrictions
4.08 miles (6.53km), moderate, 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes, twelve stages following pink waymarker posts. Starts at Porter's Lodge, grid reference TL8154161537, turning left past the car park and down the main drive to the main gates.
