Blickling Hall and the Boleyns: Tracing a Tudor Tragedy

Note: This is a show notes page accompanying my on-location podcast, recorded in spring 2025.

An Introduction to Blickling Hall

One of the most atmospheric and evocative sites in all of Tudor England, Blickling Hall, is nestled in the heart of the Norfolk countryside. Blickling Estate was in the possession of the Boleyn family and home to Thomas Boleyn and his wife, Elizabeth, between 1499 and 1505. For many years, it was believed that the current house was built on the ruins of the old Boleyn property and that nothing of the former medieval / Tudor house survived. However, more recent research has put that hypothesis in doubt.

Today, we commemorate one of the most poignant and defining moments in Tudor history—the execution of Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, the second wife of Henry VIII and mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I. On May 19, 1536, Anne lost her life on Tower Green. Her dramatic rise and fall continue to fascinate, provoke debate, and stir the imagination of historians and enthusiasts alike.

Although there is no definitive record of Anne Boleyn’s birthplace, Blickling’s strong association with the Boleyns gives weight to the idea that Anne spent at least part of her early childhood there. While Hever Castle in Kent often takes the spotlight as the Boleyn family seat, Blickling is believed by many to be the original Boleyn home – a grand estate that stood long before the Jacobean mansion we see today.

The Boleyns were an ambitious family who advanced their status through some strategic marriages. By the early 1500s, the Boleyns had risen to the very heart of court life. Thomas Boleyn, Anne Boleyn’s father, became a skilled courtier and diplomat, serving under both Henry VII and Henry VIII in a variety of high-profile roles. His political and social influence reached its peak during the 1520s, when both of his daughters – Mary and Anne Boleyn – caught the attention of King Henry VIII. Ultimately, it was Anne’s marriage to the King in 1533 that brought the family to its most dazzling, if short-lived, moment of power.

In this commemorative episode, we’ll explore Blickling Hall’s connection to Anne Boleyn, delve into the legends that claim her ghost returns here on the anniversary of her death and consider what this place might have meant to the Boleyn family in the early 1500s. I’m joined by Meghan Dennis, Property Curator at Blickling Hall, who helps us unpack the history layered within these walls.

Light a candle in your mind’s eye, dear listener. This is a journey of remembrance, mystery and rediscovery. Let’s step back in time to Blickling Hall…

Blickling Hall Image Gallery

Blicking Hall: Left – the front (south) range and Right- the east range
Images © The Tudor Travel Guide.

The Great Hall.
Images © The Tudor Travel Guide.

The tunnel under the moat used to link the kitchens with the dining room.
Images © The Tudor Travel Guide.

The South Drawing Room and its strapwork ceiling with hanging pendants.
Images © The Tudor Travel Guide.

The long gallery and close-up images of its Jacobean plaster ceiling.
Images © The Tudor Travel Guide.

Useful Links

Each year, the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s death is commemorated with a costumed procession down the drive at Blickling. You can find information on this, along with visiting information for Blickling Hall here.

To read Tudor Ambition: Houses of the Boleyn Family, by Professor Simon Thurley, click here.

To buy King’s Mistress, Queen’s Servant: The Life and Times of Henrietta Howard by Tracy Borman, click here.

If you’d like to follow in Anne’s footsteps, my book, In The Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, is a detailed guide to exploring 70 castles, manors and palaces Anne visited and called home. You can buy a signed copy here.

To immerse yourself in Anne’s story, my time travel novel Le Temps Viendra tells the story of the tempestuous relationship between Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. You can buy Volumes 1 and 2 of Le Temps Viendra 2 here.

If you would like to visit other Tudor places in the area, my three-day itinerary of Tudor Norfolk highlights the must-see locations.