Sarah and I have been to Cambridge three times recently. Sarah has been taking a Coaching in Running Fitness course, and this third visit was our last (for now). On previous visits, I have cycled to Ely and St Ives and visited Wicken Fen, Anglesey Abbey, and Wimpole. This time, I decided I would cycle to Ickworth, a National Trust property.

After starting at Moulton village hall, I arrived at Ickworth, just outside Bury St Edmunds. You can view my full cycle ride here.

I cycled in by the back door.

In doing so, I passed Ickworth Lodge, part of the Ickworth Hotel complex on the grounds. I found myself occasionally being confused between Ickworth and Ickworth Hotel, two separate functions sharing the same grounds.

Eventually, I arrived at Ickworth.

Ickworth is the former seat of the Earls of Bristol. In particular Frederick Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol, also known as the Earl-Bishop.

He was keen on art and wanted to create a building to display his extensive Italian art collection. However, when I arrived, his centrepiece, The Rotunda, was currently subject to extensive restoration.

I wasn’t sure where to start, so I headed outside and explored the nearby gardens

It was quite a cold day, so I wasn’t hanging around.

Ickworth has unflatteringly been described as ‘a huge bulk, newly arrived from another planet’ and as ‘an overgrown folly’. Thankfully, however, it is being architecturally reassessed and recognised as the only building in England comparable with the monumental works of Boullée and Ledoux.

I came across the stumpery.

This was a fabulous garden. Sarah would have loved this!

She would have loved the snowdrops too …

I found myself wandering over to a section that was run by the Ickworth Hotel, and spotted this …

Eventually, I managed to find the front door of Ickworth.

TBH, it was quite disappointing. I suspect that was because the staterooms and servants quarters were closed due to conservation work.

There was an impressive silver collection however.

And the fact that artwork was deliberately shown in a reduced light environment made for interesting senses.

The collection includes work by Titian through to  Benjamin West amongst others.

This was just a short visit, and there was plenty I missed out, the extensive grounds, for example, the walled garden, and Ickworth Church. It is a place I would like to revisit and fully enjoy all it has to offer.

Then it was time to move on and complete my cycle ride back to Moulton.