The Gardens
Somerleyton Hall was originally a Jacobean manor but was remodelled in 1844, transforming it into the fine example of an early Victorian Hall in the Anglo-Italian style that we see today.
Beautiful architecture, antique furniture, the trademark Crossley carpets - and an unmistakably 'lived-in' feel make a visit to Somerleyton Hall a fascinating and unforgettable experience.
Add to this our famous 1846 yew hedge maze (one of the finest in Britain) and our splendid gardens containing many different specimens of trees, shrubs, borders and plants, and you'll soon see why a vist to Somerleyton Hall and Gardens is a must.
A twelve-point Garden Trail can be followed around the Gardens. However visitors are most welcome to explore as they wish.
 
To the west of the Walled Garden is a fairly extensive vegetable garden, which supplies the Duke's Head and Tea-Room.
We also have one of the finest yew hedge mazes in Britain. To find out more about it please go here.
An old concrete lined pond on the eastern side of the garden has been recently renovated and relined. Both the small island, created in the middle of the pond, and the surrounding areas have been re-landscaped.
The beds have been planted with a large collection of marginal plants, which include hostas, ligularias, iris eupatorium theum, to name a few.
The Maze 
One of the most popular features of the garden has always been the yew hedge maze, one of the finest in Britain. It was designed by William Nesfield, the celebrated landscape gardener, and planted in 1846.
In order to restore the shape and encourage fresh new growth, the hedges were substantially cut back in the 1970s. The entrance is through a yew arch, and those who successfully find their way to the centre will be rewarded by the sight of an enchanting small pagoda perched on a grassy mound. If no mistakes are made, the centre point lies over 400 yards (365m) from the entrance.
Click for The Maze Gallery
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Entrance Hall
Beyond the Staircase Hall lies the Entrance Hall. It gives the visitor a first taste of that 'rich harmonious style' which characterises the finish of every room at Somerleyton. Twelve oak columns frame large wall panels in a polished, green-veined Devon marble. Note also the boar and owl carvings above the doorways. The dome contains very pretty stained-glass panes , probably by Ballantyne of Edinburgh, of several types of game-bird. The floor is paved with Minton encaustic tiles in grey, green and blue, and with marbles of red and black.
The Staircase Hall
The Staircase Hall is 'Italian Classical' in style, with stairs carried on stout oak consoles and ceiling supported by bold plaster brackets. The windows are decorated with the fourteen coats of arms of the families that have held the Somerleyton Estate since circa 1240.
Ballroom 
This room was formerly known as the White and Gold Drawing-Room, and before the creation of the present Library from the lower part of the Banqueting Hall it was the most important reception room. The rich crimson damask curtains and wall-coverings are typically Victorian and sumptuous. The gilded ornamentation contrasts with the pure white paintwork giving a light freshness and gaiety to the room.
Library
This warmly inviting room is now used by the family as a sitting-room. It was originally built as a huge banqueting hall with a lofty ceiling, twenty-eight feet high and covered with elaborate plaster motifs as decoration. A massive sculptured alabaster fireplace dominated the room, soaring up some twenty feet towards the ceiling. In the centre of the far wall, adjacent to the fireplace, a balcony and pipe organ overlooked the room, generally adding to the splendour.
 
Passageway
At the head of the passageway between the Ballroom and Staircase Hall hangs the fine study Buck and Fawns by Sir Edwin Landseer, which was specially commissioned for Somerleyton Hall by Sir Morton Peto. An eighteenth-century Flemish tapestry depicts a lady of the Court being attacked by some soldiers, opposite which is a large picture of Highland Cattle by H.B.W. Davis .
Dining Room
This room, with its ceiling in the style of Adam, was entirely re-painted and re-furnished in the late 1960s. A new carpet was specially woven by John Crossley and Sons and features a pattern of cross-crosslets taken from the Somerleyton coat of arms.
Click for Somerleyton Hall Gallery
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