English: Blickling Hall - east facade and moat The moat, once part of the defence of the medieval house, was already partly dry in Sir Henry Hobart's time in the early 17th century. It was planted with fuchsias, ferns, hostas and Japanese anemones by garden designer Norah Lindsay, a diciple of Gertrude Jekyll specialising in creating new gardens to suit old country houses. Originally, Blickling Hall was built as a manor house. In the 11th century the house was owned by Harold Godwinson, who later became the King of England. William I passed the property on to his chaplain and by 1091 it had become a country palace of the bishops. During the late 14th century it was owned by Sir Nicholas Dagworth, who built a rectangular house surrounded by a moat. At the end of the 15th century, Blickling Hall was owned by the Boleyn family and, according to tradition, Anne Boleyn was born here. Sir Henry Hobart purchased the estate in 1616. His descendants lived at Blickling Hall until 1940. The estate is now in the care of the National Trust.