Description
The 25 acres of beautiful gardens are open from Spring until Autumn.
They include :- A sunken garden, herbaceous border, wild areas,
tropical house, rose garden, ice house, duck pond, Essex barn built in
1642 and Arboretum. Visitors are welcome to picnic within the peaceful
surroundings.
Also at the Hall is the Tropical House with an area of 5,000 square
feet. It contains plants from Africa, The Caribbean, Central America
and The Middle and Far East. With such variety, there is a continuous
efflorescence of exotic flora. One of the largest private collections
of plants in the U.K.
Another popular attraction is the RAF Museum. After the bombing of the
North Weald Aerodrome in September 1940, the R.A.F. Station
Headquarters was moved to Blake Hall. Many of the original contents of
the house were lost at this time. The South wing was gutted to
accommodate the Operations Room, thus destroying five bedrooms, two
bathrooms, a library and a drawing room.
It was not until 1950 that the Capel Cure family could return to their
home; compensation however, fell a long way short of being sufficient
to restore the south wing. With kind permission of G.R. Capel Cure, a
group of very keen enthusiasts have restored the South wing into a
museum for all of us to enjoy.
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Blake Hall
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