Record Details

NHER Number:12481
Type of record:Building
Name:Heacham Hall

Summary

The Hall was an 18th century house with later extensions, probably built on the site of an earlier building. The Hall was destroyed by a fire during World War Two. The stables and kennels were built of 19th century red brick, and the hall kitchen, now converted into a house, has an arch braced roof and a central glass louvre.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 6800 3832
Map Sheet:TF63NE
Parish:HEACHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Visited 29 July 1986. No remains visible of hall.
Present Old Hall Stables and Kennels are made in stable block and coachman's house?, all 19th century red brick, not of especial interest.
Old kitchens, proposed for conversion to house, is a red brick building, one large room with arch braced roof and central glass louvre.
19th century arched openings in wall, very impressive but in very bad condition.
On old main road, good 19th century brick gate pillars with finials and iron gates.

E. Rose (NAU) 29 July 1986.

Copy of (S2) in file shows unusual building.
Facade has two half polygonal bay windows, with apparently half plus one plus half bay between them containing door. Three dormers. Side elevation of four bays all of two storeys.
Rear, lower two storey wing of eight bays.
The latter may be the older house but the main block looks about 1800.
E. Rose (NLA) 5 January 1990.

(S3) however states that the first hall dated from the late 17th century and stood further north than its successor, demolished in 1775 because its site no longer lay within the park.
The later house is dated to 1775 to 1781, demolished about 1950.
It is difficult to judge where the earlier hall could have been to the north and outside the park, as this area is occupied by Manor Farm (site NHER 1448) an earlier building.
E. Rose (NLA) 17 March 1994.

20th century postcard reproduced in (S4) shows a very different building to the older engraving, there are two extra bays each side of the half polygonal bays, but the side elevation is the same; the rear wing has a division halfway along. Can the hall really have been widened or is the earlier drawing inaccurate?
The postcard shows flat topped dormers in each roof slope.
E. Rose (NLA) 14 January 1997.

(S5) notes iron gates dated 1908 at Shrublands, Nether Row, Thetford said to have come from Heacham Hall.
E. Rose (NLA) 14 July 1998.

The building was indeed extended after 1840, though the postcard is misleading, two additional bays were added to the right hand end alone and the doorway brought forward onto a porch. The right hand side elevation of the new extension was made to imitate the old wall but with different windows. The division in the rear wing is where a single storey end section has been raised since 1840. These details come from a photo of 1890 in (S6) showing the house before the extension. (S6) also states house was rebuilt 1774 to 1778 and confirms rear wing was the older hall and that (S3) is incorrect; also many other details of the estate.
E. Rose (NLA) 26 January 2001.

Monument Types

  • GREAT HOUSE (Medieval to World War Two - 1500 AD to 1941 AD)
  • GATE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • KITCHEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • LIVERY STABLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 388.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Photograph: CVX 24-25.
<S1>Archive: Bolingbroke Collection.
<S2>Illustration: Reeve, E.. 1840. Heacham Hall.
<S3>Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. [unknown]. Inventory of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Norfolk..
<S4>Newspaper Article: Lynn News and Advertiser. 1987. [Photograph of Heacham Hall from 1945]. 27 January.
<S5>Unpublished Document: Taigel, A. 1997. Norfolk Gardens Trust: Town Gardens Survey - Volume One. Norfolk Gardens Trust.
<S6>Monograph: Wilson, R. & Mackley, A.. 2000. Creating Paradise: The Building of the English Country House 1660-1880.. p 341; Pl 5.
<S7>Map: NRO. Late 18thC. Map of Heacham from the Church to the Hall and Manor Yards.
<S8>Map: Utting. J. Lynn Regis. 1839. Heacham Tithe Map.
<S9>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1906 to 1907. Ordnance Survey 2nd edition 6 inch map.

Related records

43164Parent of: Archway Cottage and 42 to 46 (even) Hunstanton Road (Building)
30507Parent of: Heacham Park (Monument)

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