There are many unique aspects of a visit to Houghton, and a great number of surprises: one of which is to be discovered in the Old Stables Courtyard. For here resides the Model Soldier Museum , where 20,000 figures are meticulously arranged to represent famous battles and significant periods of military history.   More than 40 showcases make up the Model Soldier Museum, believed to be the largest private collection in the world. It also displays assorted militaria, including fine prints and paintings, China figures, vintage helmets, and impressive regimental drums. Napoleon Bonaparte on Marengo, the small, grey Arabian stallion he rode in many battles from 1800 to 1815 Scenes depicted (which span from 1745 to 1942) include the Battle of Culloden Moor, fought near Inverness in April 1746 - the climax of the Jacobite Rising. There’s the Battle of Isandlwana of 1879, during the Zulu War when, somewhat incredibly, the lack of screwdrivers was a contributing factor in the disaster which wiped out the entire Warwickshire Regiment – they couldn’t open the ammunition boxes fast enough. And, over a number of dioramas, visitors are invited to look back on moments from the Napoleonic Wars: generals conferring; canons firing (complete with sheep’s wool ‘smoke’); the brandishing of bayonets and muskets; horses galloping – and falling.   Each element of the action frozen in time.   The Battle of Waterloo itself, Napoleon’s last stand, which took place in 1815, is laid out in fascinating detail: Wellington and Napoleon confront each other across the battlefield, with the famous farm of La Hay-Sainte in the centre; and we see the all-important sandpit – a key defensive position where the 95th Rifles took cover. The Battle of Waterloo, 1815, showing key features of Napoleon's last stand The Museum also features many other scenes, including The Franco-Prussian War, The First and Second World Wars, and parade grounds where thousands of troops are seen marching by. A very personal collection   Houghton Hall is the home of David, the Seventh Marquess of Cholmondeley – the present Lord Cholmondeley - who lives here with his family, and The Model Soldier Museum is a private collection started by his father, Hugh, the Sixth Marquess, as a young schoolboy in the late 1920s. At that point, the pieces were given to him as toys.   Hugh Cholmondeley, the Sixth Marquess, whose love of model soldiers began as a boy in the 1920s He went on to serve in the British Army, being awarded the Military Cross, and it was when he retired from the Military in 1949, married, and settled down to family life at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire, that his attention turned again to the collection.   Lord Cholmondeley explains: “In the 1950s and ‘60s, it seems that a box would arrive every week or two. He would buy from model train shops, even Hamleys; trees and little gates and things, and then arrange his scenes. He used wool for smoke and Daz washing powder for snow.   “This time, the pieces were models rather than toys: usually made out of lead, or tin, beautifully painted, and not to be played with! Exceptions were sometimes made, however, and in time I was given a few to have at school.    “They were perhaps ones that were chipped and I would play with those,” he recalls. “As a boy, I was fascinated with them and once a year would dust them. They were on tables in those days. I must have dusted every one in my time with a little hair brush - thousands of them. I learned what the regiments were called, how they marched etc. Father knew all the marching formations and where every figure should go.”   Lord Cholmondeley says his father wove his own military experience into the collection.   “He made this little scene in the desert of three armoured cars. Just like his troop. He told me when they saw the enemy approaching, they had to throw away their breakfast!”   And there, in case 30D, we go back to Libya, 1942. These are the Royal Dragoons, led by Lieutenant Rocksavage (the sixth Marquess). The troops are “brewing” breakfast, but the enemy is seen in the distance, so the order goes out to “sling the brew” and the party moves off.   The whole collection was moved from Cholmondeley Castle to Houghton Hall in Norfolk in 1980, soon after the latter opened to the public. It was at this point that display cases were ordered and backgrounds to many of the tableaux were painted by a talented local artist, Ian Weekley.   Over the decades, the Model Soldier Museum has welcomed many thousands of visitors, and Lord Cholmondeley tells of one particularly memorable visitor who called in to see his grandmother, the Dowager Marchioness, in the 1980s – President Mitterrand. Touring the Museum, the French leader was amused to find himself viewing Napoleon’s defeat at The Battle of Waterloo.   The sixth Marquess retained a passion for the models until his death in 1990, and his son continues to take an enthusiastic interest in the collection he has treasured since boyhood. As the scenes are safely protected in their cases, there is, however, no longer any need for him to meticulously clean each piece every year with a brush!   The Model Soldier Museum at Houghton Hall is open on every public open day. Both types of admission ticket include full access to the exhibition (ie Garden Only tickets and Full General Admission Tickets).

With Jack Frost nipping at our noses, and gardeners dressed up like eskimos, the run up to Christmas is a busy time in Houghton’s Walled Garden. The irony is that much of the garden appears to be dormant, but December is the best month to get busy on some big jobs, says Houghton Hall's head gardener Richard Ernst. Here, we share some behind-the-scenes photos and gardening tips from Richard and his team as they work hard to ensure everything is ready for "showtime" when we open again in spring. The magic of mulch Our double-width herbaceous borders, with their hot to cold colourways, are definitely one of the garden showstoppers. Visitors are astounded by their lushness and vibrancy, and ask how we achieve it. And the answer is: consistent hard work - and mulch! In December, it's time for any perennials left to be cut down, lifted, and divided as needed. Then, the beds are ready for mulching – the application of a thick layer of organic matter across the surface. This benefits the plants by adding nutrients to the soil and keeps weeds suppressed.  It also helps to reduce moisture loss in summer months. On the subject of mulching, we receive two-and-a-half tonnes of solid digestate waste each week, which is spread through many of the borders – including asters, asparagus and roses. If you’re wondering what ‘digestate’ waste is, ours is made from composted maize which has been used in Norfolk biomass digesters. Its high nutrient content enriches the soil and in turn benefits the plants, whilst it also provides a degree of insulation from those Norfolk frosts. The slumbering herbaceous border in December, and gardener Lindsay preparing to mulch The hard work pays off - and delights Houghton visitors year after year Tulips, trees, and an abundance of sweet peas! Now that the gardens are clearer, the very last of the tulips go in. This autumn, we planted some 10,000 bulbs, including 2,500 in the new avenue behind the The Stables Café, which promises to be quite a springtime spectacle. Over in the Richard Long ‘Houghton Cross’ garden, there are a staggering 6,000 singularly planted tulips across 14 different varieties. Some of our favourites are Tulip City of Vancouver, with its pale primrose yellow flowers and golden blush, the flaming Tulip Annie Schilder and, in contrast, the dark purple Tulip Black Hero.   The team planting tulips in the Richard Long "Houghton Cross" garden - and some of last year's blooms Houghton's trees benefit from some expert tlc too - the pleached limes in the Italian Garden have their sides and tops cut into the traditional box shape, while the London planes in the Mediterranean Garden are pollarded. This removes the upward growing branches and trains them into their distinctive umbrella poses.   Kevin pollarding in the Mediterranean Garden, and the umbrella-shaped trees in summer There aren't many Norfolk gardens that will encourage you to pick flowers - but as a reminder of time spent at Houghton, when the sweet peas are blooming, we provide scissors so that visitors can snip some off to enjoy at home. As you can imagine, this is very popular, and so we nurture some 800 sweet pea plants. Once again, the planning starts early, and we have just sown our second batch. There is a knack to sweet pea success, however, and we have found it really helps to soak them in moist paper for a couple of days to soften the seed coat. They are then sown into root trainers to encourage a strong root system.  The holly and the ivy As December merrily rolls on, we’re definitely counting down to Christmas – and what front door is complete without a wreath? With hundreds of acres of parkland and woodland beyond the garden wall, it’s an adventure going out to forage for materials such as ivy, holly and yew.  Our spoils are then taken to the potting shed to be sorted ready to create beautiful wreaths for the Hall, plus a few commissions.  And as another year comes to a close, we like to give thanks to our garden volunteers, who have donated so much of their time, by letting them create a wreath for themselves on their last visit before Christmas. Two of our garden volunteers, Casey and Freya, and Houghton's Estate Office door dressed for Christmas We can't wait to welcome you back when our garden gates re-open to the public in springtime. We'll continue to share journals about the garden, the hall and other interesting sneak peaks. Sign up to our newsletters and we'll make sure you never miss one. Wishing you a wonderful festive season - and joyous gardening. December in the garden – a few top tips from our Norfolk garden If you have a greenhouse, keep an eye out for pests and diseases which still flourish indoors even when it’s cold outside. In our glasshouses, we are constantly on the lookout for trouble, as we keep a number of plants available for use in the Hall at all times. December is an excellent time to remove the fruited canes of soft fruit like autumn and summer fruiting raspberries, loganberries, and tayberries. Any bare rooted plants like roses and raspberries should be planted.  Never plant roses in the same hole as where you might have removed one from. With high winds there is always a risk of damage. Always go through the garden after high winds looking for broken branches, trees, glass, wooden structures of trees pulled from their supportive framework. Mice love sweet peas as much as we do - so cover the pre-soaked seeds with a small, meshed wire until they have germinated, or you could lose them all.