Page created 4/9/19

At the times our earliest “Voices” remember, Whiteslea Lodge was the home of Lord and Lady Desborough.  After Lord Desborough’s death, the Whiteslea Estate was bought (in 1946) by regular visitor to Whiteslea, Christopher Cadbury, in the name of the Norfolk Naturalists Trust.

Many well-known people have visited here. King George V, twice, and George VI on a number of occasions visited Hickling Broad and Whiteslea Lodge as guests of Lord Desborough; and George VI continued to come here later, his last visit being in January 1951. 

The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles visited in the 1950s, including the occasion in January 1959 when, fearing flooding at Whiteslea Lodge, arrangements were made for them to be put up at the Pleasure Boat Inn, run by Alfred and Gwen Amis.

Stewart Linsell notes regarding that visit that: “By the weekend there was a foot of water inside the Lodge.”