Reinterred: Westerton Hall and Blickling Hall

Friday, 19 September 2025

Westerton Hall and Blickling Hall

Today we had a trip to Norfolk.

This was the invite from Joyce.

"Friday September 19th. Another gentle day exploring Wolterton Hall and Blickling, Norfolk. Yell if you would like to join us as I have a spare ticket. The plan is to park at Wolterton Hall for 10.50am. Have coffee from the delicious café ‘Bread Source’ and then view the Maggi Hambling and Ro Robertson art exhibition. Afterwards we will re-park at Blickling Hall and then take those that wish on a really delightful 5 mile walk before maybe another cuppa and home. It’s a gentle day out and something different."

I collected three others and we arrived in good time at Wolterton Hall only to find the cafe didn't open intil 11am, but that gave us a chance to look around. This is what the Hall's website says about the exhibition...

"An exhibition by Maggi Hambling and Ro Robertson

11 June – 7 December 2025

The inaugural exhibition, ‘Sea State’, features new work by Maggi Hambling and Ro Robertson and is co-curated by Simon Oldfield and Gemma Rolls-Bentley.

Responding to humanity’s enduring, complex, and increasingly precarious relationship with the ocean, this is the first time that both artists will exhibit together and focus on a shared longstanding, deeply personal connection to the coast.

Presenting in the unique architectural setting of Wolterton, both artists respond to the sea not only as a subject, but as a force – a place of emotional power, personal history, and poetic metaphor. Taking over the Marble Hall and Portrait Room ‘Sea State’ is entirely site-specific and has involved both artists working closely with Wolterton to re-energise the historic house and grounds with new contemporary art.

Both artists are drawn to the sea’s changeable nature—at once unpredictable and overpowering, yet also a place of reflection and transformation. The exhibition invites audiences to consider our intrinsic relationship to the sea, create space for reflection and reminds us not only of our relative insignificance within the vastness of the natural world, but also of our responsibility toward it."

Here are a few photos of the Hall and exhibition.

Some fruit and vegetables from their walled garden.

The coffee shop is in the library.

There is oem art in the next room that is not part of the exhibition.

But we had our drinks outside.

The tapestries were quite interesting.

After visiting the exhibition. I sat outside and watched as the others did a short walk around the lake -alas my knee injury means I have to avoid walking more than a short distance a day.

Then it was off to Blickling.It was only a short distance but it took a while as we were out in the country here with single-track roads and passing places... and a charity bike ride to overtake!