Summary

One of the great houses of Norfolk, this was the mansion of the L'Estrange family (the name was changed to Le Strange in 1839 and adopted by the Stylemans, who inherited in 1760). P.G. Wodehouse was a frequent visitor in the 1920s and 1930s and the house is featured in some of his stories. The moated site surrounds buildings which are said to have 14th century cores and a gatehouse of 1487. The hall was rebuilt in 1618, and the side ranges in 1623, with a wall along the moat dated 1622. The Octagon is of 1640 and the formal gardens after 1686. There were fires in 1835 and 1853, followed in each case by rebuilding, with further work in the 1870s and up to 1900. A third fire followed in 1950. The wing north of the gatehouse that was gutted by the 1950 fire was restored in the 1980s.

Monument Types

• BRIDGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GATEHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GREAT HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MILL POND? (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• BARN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• BOWLING GREEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• GARDEN HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• GREAT HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• POND (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• STABLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• TUNNEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

• FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FLOOR TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Hunstanton Hall and grounds.
Moated with ?14th century walling; gatehouse 1487. Jacobean wings and porch of hall burnt down 1853. Victorian blocks of 1835, 1876 etc. To south, moated Jacobean music house, earthworks of formal gardens. To west, ?19th century formal garden and whale's skull.
For full details see report (S1) in file. Architectural plans (S2), photographs (S3), report on gatehouse and south wings (S4) and press cuttings (S5) to (S9) in file. Listed (S10).
Condition; divided into three private houses.
Jacobean wing north of gatehouse burnt out in about 1950, now (1981) being restored by [1].
For area outside moat contact [2], at office north of church ('mill' on 6 inch Ordnance Survey map).
E. Rose (NAU), 25 March 1981.

December 1989.
Salvage record of trench excavation within ruined north wing produced glazed floor tile.
See notes and plan in file.
E. Rose (NAU), 5 January 1990

See NHER 30464 for Hunstanton Park.
J. Allen (NLA), 13 January 2000.

June 2001.
Visited to examine earthworks in the light of recent aerial photography evidence.
They do not form a regular pattern, and are difficult to interpret. It has been suggested that an earthwork survey should be undertaken to clarify the interpretation.
H. Paterson (A & E), 5 July 2001.

Management Statement signed 16 July 2001.
See copy in office file.
H. Paterson (A & E), 17 July 2001.

September 2002. Norfolk NMP.
(Area extended).
The earthworks to the south of the Hall and gardens have been recorded during the NMP mapping under the site number of NHER 26941. The extent of the moat has been mapped, although the aerial photograph evidence did not reveal anything that is not obvious on the ground or map. The area of water features, to the north of the hall, marked ‘mill waters’ has also been mapped. These appear to create three roughly oblong islands, surrounded by water, centred on TF 6907 4205. These ‘moated’ islands represent some form of water management, possibly to do with a mill, although they do not appear to form a standard mill pond or race. It is more likely that they are related to the supply of water for the hall moats. On Faden’s map of 1797 (S12) and Bryant’s map of 1826 (S13) the area is depicted as a roughly rectangular island and on Bryant’s map it is not clear whether a building is being shown.
(Sources 11 to 13)
S. Massey (NMP), 20 September 2002.

Gardens are 17th century, altered in 19th century. (S14).
See combined report (S1) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 1 February 2003.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Old Hunstanton (Parish Summary)