Record Details

NHER Number:7359
Type of record:Building
Name:Cropton Hall

Summary

A 17th and early 18th century red brick farmhouse with a steeply pitched pantile roof. The house is two storeys high with attics and is built in a cruciform plan, with shaped north and south gables, the north one having a date of 1702. The date 1730 appears on a later northwest addition. The main west façade has five upper window bays and three lower ones, with a doorway under a segmental pediment supported by brick columns. A good 17th century staircase was noted inside the house, but this was destroyed in a fire in 1985, and the interior is now mostly modern.
In the grounds of the house are some 18th century farmhouses and a well-preserved World War Two air raid shelter.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 1081 2838
Map Sheet:TG12NW
Parish:HEYDON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

18 August 1977. Visited.
Brick, south gable shaped, with a pair of windows on the ground and first floors, above them a very small blocked pair, then apparently a central false window. Pair of later octagonal chimneys on top. Large brick plinth. Probably early 17th century. South end of west wall of same build, chequerwork, also south end of east wall, though windows have been hacked in this and blocked again. Remainder of west wall is a façade of about 1700, two storeys, five bays upper and three lower, separated by string course; windows have wooden mullions and transomes. Brick pilastered and pedimented door. Dentilled cornice which breaks into older south end of wall (though string course does not). Wing at right angles running west in identical style, three bays,two storeys with arch of old basement window visible. String course, moulded, continues onto west gable of this wing. East side of main block has string course; windows all blocked; 17th century brickwork appears to have been reused. Masked by recent additions. At north end of house a block of three octagonal chimneys: then adjoining separate north wing with shaped gable dated 1702 in clamp irons; next to it another with plain gable dated 1730. Of this date are brick farm buildings, including a range between two towers. In the garden is a well-preserved air raid shelter, concrete with buried corrugated iron roof.
E. Rose (NAU), 18 August 1977.

Roof destroyed by fire after a lightning strike. Building in use as hotel. See press cutting (S1) in file.
Listing (S2) notes a good 17th century staircase.
E. Rose (NAU), 28 June 1985.

But source [1] states that this was burnt in the 1985 fire. The interior is now totally modern except for the smaller projection
E. Rose (NLA), 12 December 1996.

Reference (S3) notes adjacent barn, late 18th century, two threshing floors and pentises, reroofed. To south is long stable block with matching pavilions for harness rooms. This is the best farm on the Heydon estate although it is not adjacent to Heydon Hall.
E. Rose (NLA), 13 January 1995.

Architects' plans (S4), (1997) in file.

Monument Types

  • BARN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FARMSTEAD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • GREAT HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • STABLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • AIR RAID SHELTER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 12 NW 36.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 550.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. Village where time rolls back serenely. 7 August.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1985. Storm may have caused blaze. 27 June.
<S2>Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England.
<S3>Publication: Wade-Martins, S.. 1994. Norfolk Farmsteads Thematic Survey. p.30.
<S4>Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.

Related records - none

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