Rotunda
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© NTPL/Andreas von Einsiedel
An intrigate scale model of Ickworth house delivered to Italy for approval
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© National Trust
Part of a magnificent collection of fans held at Ickworth
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© Sean Reid
Athamas, driven mad by the Gods, prepares to murder his infant son.
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© Von Essen Hotel
Ickworth House from the air
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Portrait by Velzáquez at Ickworth
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Come and be amazed at some of the beautiful rooms at Ickworth
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Just one of the magnificent rooms to explore in the Rotunda at Ickworth
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© Jo Sweetman
Can you guess what some of these kitchen items were used for?
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© Kirsti Abernethy
A copper saucepan over a hundred years old in the basement at Ickworth
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© Jo Sweetman
An old fashioned sewing machine on display in the basement at Ickworth
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© Kirsti Abernethy
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© Kirsti Abernethy
The Rotunda
The impressive Rotunda of Ickworth House
The Earl-Bishop saw the exterior of his Rotunda virtually finished before his death in 1803.
The interior was still an empty shell. The curving corridors and wings where he planned to display his collections, were only a few feet above ground.
He left the unfinished Rotunda to his son, Frederick, the future first Marquess of Bristol, to progress his extraordinary architectural plan.
From opulence to simplicity
The East Wing Hervey family home is now The Ickworth Hotel
In place of the massive galleries planned by his father, Frederick Hervey instructed his architect, John Field, to redesign the East Wing as family living-quarters in 1821.
Field fitted out the ground floor of the Rotunda as state rooms in an austere Regency style.
He added the West Wing purely for symmetry, leaving it completely empty.
Intricate detail
Make sure you look up when you visit the Pompeian Room
© National Trust
As the family lived mostly in the East Wing, the rooms we see in the Rotunda actually spent much of the year under dust sheets.
They came into their own mainly for parties and other special occasions. As a result, their superb furnishings and decoration survived in excellent condition.
Little has changed since its Edwardian heyday.
A new era
We've looked after this grand and quirky mansion since 1956.
This March you'll see the exciting new basement opening, part of our £2m Heritage Lottery project, where you'll be able to discover 1930s life below stairs.
Tradition
The snow leopard, also known as the ounce, can be found all over the Rotunda in different forms.
It's taken from the Hervey coat of arms and can be seen carved on furniture, added to silverware and painted on ceramics.
Conservation
Even though the Rotunda is open, our conservation team continues in earnest to conserve the furniture, fabrics, china, pictures and silverware.
A dedicated team helps each day to keep it in tip top condition for you.
Technology
The water supply system is one of the wonders of Ickworth technology.
This rain water collection tank harvested water from the roof of the Rotunda before it was piped to a cistern to supply fresh water.