Ickworth History walk
With its history traced back to Domesday, Ickworth has quite a story to tell. Originally managed as a working estate, its status today as a pleasure ground dates back only as far as the early 18th Century. Walk with us around this beautiful parkland and let your imagination fly with our stories of its development over the centuries under the care, love and sometimes eccentric attentions of the Hervey’s and St. Edmundsbury Abbey.
Start:
Porter's Lodge visitor reception, grid reference TL8154161537
1
Start at the Porter's Lodge visitor reception and take the path into the Albana Woods opposite the cottage. Continue along the Walnut Paddock path until you reach two five bar gates.
Ickworth
In 1253, Thomas D'Ickworth was granted the right to create a deer park on land then belonging to the Abbey in Bury St. Edmunds, with the hall being built in the 13th century. By 1710 the hall was left unused and in disrepair by the Hervey family who then owned the park, and was finally demolished; the foundations for the new Ickworth House being laid in 1795.
2
Go through the first gate and turn left until reaching another gate. The area in front of you is the site of the medieval Hamlet of Ickworth the road would have led down between the Oak trees to St. Mary’s Church.
Ickworth Village
The first known documentation of Ickworth village was in 942, and it was deserted by 1670. Imagine a small village (from tax records in 1327) of 26 households whose life mostly revolved around the hall. As you look through the village towards St. Mary's church is Parson's Pond; so called because of the site of the Rectory which would have stood next to it.
3
Continue through the gate; down over the field towards Parson's pond. Continue down the hill to St. Mary's Church. At St Mary’s church walk to the back wall and look over the field behind the church yard. This is the site of the Medieval Ickworth Hall. Entry into the church and see the 13th century altar with the 14th century wall painting depicting the Annunciation of Angel Gabriel. Looking up into the roof you will see the Oak Cross above the triple-decker pulpit dating from 1770s. To your right and above is the Hervey family pew constructed in the 1830, below which is the family vault (access by tour only through the Church)
Parson's Pond
This pond is near the site of the parsonage, burnt down in the 16th century while the rector was out of the country. From the original deeds, the parsonage consisted of a 'hall, a parlour, a dairy and buttery, two little lower chambers, and three upper chambers.'
4
Walk back to the road, take the right fork and continue down the hill past the Walled Garden until reaching the cross roads. As you walk down the trail on your left you will get a beautiful view across the Linnet Valley. Now cross the bridge and turn right.
5
Now walking to the right of the church; go round the back and look over the field behind the church yard. This is the site of the medieval Ickworth Hall
Ickworth Hall
The earliest building on this site was a half-timber building which would have been highly decorated. An archaeological excavation in 1982 revealed that the hall would have had several brick extensions resulting in an impressive 'U' shaped building similar in looks to this engraving of Kentwell Hall in Long Melford. Between 1710 and 1795, when the present Ickworth house was being built, the family would have largely stayed in the Lodge (Ickworth Lodge).
6
Walk past the White House and go through the five bar gate and continue along the Linnet Valley for about a mile, before reaching another five bar gate you will see a footbridge. Taking care going down and up the steps, cross the footbridge and keep left. The path will take you up to the Albana Wood. You are now at the bottom of the Albana Walk on the Trim Trail.
The 'White House'
The White House is one of 19 cottages on the estate. By the mid 19th century, due to the agricultural depression, the rural aristocracy had to find ways to retain their tenants' loyalty. One way was to improve tenant's living conditions. The Marquess of Bristol borrowed vast sums of money to improve his housing stock; then lowered rents resulting in a huge loss, but it did preserve the cottages for future generations.
7
Take the right fork following the orange way markers which leads you to the box hedge and wonderful views across the Linnet Valley. (Bearing left will show a different view of the Albana walk without views, but both routes will eventually take you back to the Porter's Lodge and the end of your walk.)
Surrounding fields
The surrounding fields are some of the few arable areas on the estate. Traditionally Ickworth was parkland and tenanted small-holdings. By the Second World War vast areas of the park had been turned over to crops. A variety of crops are still grown including wheat, maize, rape seed and sugar beet. We've been working to return much of this land to parkland as was originally intended.
End:
Porter's Lodge visitor reception, grid reference TL8154161537