Record Details

NHER Number:1117
Type of record:Monument
Name:Hunstanton Hall and Gardens

Summary

One of the great houses of Norfolk, Hunstanton Hall was the mansion of the L'Estrange family. P.G. Wodehouse was a frequent visitor in the 1920s and 1930s and the house is featured in some of his stories. A moat 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. 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 1951, which gutted the wing north of the gatehouse. The wing destroyed by the 1951 fire was restored in the 1980s.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 6911 4184
Map Sheet:TF64SE
Parish:OLD HUNSTANTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

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 (S6) in file.
For List Description see (S7).
Condition; divided into three private houses.
Jacobean wing north of gatehouse burnt out in 1951, 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.

July 1951 [2].
A fire broke out within the hall, destroying the wing north of the gatehouse.
H. Hamilton (HES), 01 February 2018.

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 (S9) and Bryant’s map of 1826 (S10) the area is depicted as a roughly rectangular island and on Bryant’s map it is not clear whether a building is being shown.
S. Massey (NMP), 20 September 2002.

See combined report (S1) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 1 February 2003.

Ancillary buildings now recorded separately, see NHER 55942-55951.
A. Cattermole (HES), 11 August 2011.

Monument Types

  • BRIDGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • GREAT HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MILL POND? (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 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)
  • 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)

Protected Status

  • SHINE
  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TF6941 A,B,G-L (AAF), M,Q,S,Z-AC (Unit).
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF6941/AD - AQ; TF6842/G.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 64 SE 11b [3].
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1991/1995. [Picture of Old Hunstanton Hall]. 17 April.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, B. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 439-440.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Hunstanton (Old).
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Rose, E.. 2003. Building Report. Hunstanton Hall.. Building Report. February.
<S2>Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
<S3>Photograph: BDE18,SC(2)1-2.
<S4>Unpublished Contractor Report: Faire, T. 2003. Old Hunstanton Hall, Norfolk. Historical Report & Evaluation of Gatehouse and South Wings.
<S5>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1980. [Articles on the proposed restoration of Hunstanton Hall].
<S6>Newspaper Article: The Daily Telegraph. 1999. Plum's pig found.. 28 November.
<S7>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
<S8>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1967. OS/67069 093-4 26-APR-1967.
<S9>Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797.
<S10>Map: Bryant, A.. 1826. Bryant's Map of Norfolk.

Related records

55948Parent of: Barn to north east of Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55945Parent of: Cottage west of Stable Court, Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55947Parent of: Detached porch in courtyard of Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55946Parent of: Entrance gate, curtain walls and barn to east of Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55944Parent of: Game larder, Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55950Parent of: Gate Pier and wall 115 metres west of Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55951Parent of: Gate Piers and wall at Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55949Parent of: Gates and gate piers to Hunstanton Park (Building)
9040Parent of: Park House, Hunstanton Park (Building)
55943Parent of: Stable Court north of Hunstanton Hall (Building)
55942Parent of: The Octagon, Hunstanton Hall (Building)
MNO6296Related to: Detached porch in courtyard Hunstanton Hall OLD HUNSTANTON (Revoked)
MNO6319Related to: Gate pier & wall 115m west of Hunstanton Hall Hunstanton Hall OLD HUNSTANTON (Revoked)
MNO6324Related to: Gate pier & wall at Hunstanton Hall Hunstanton Hall OLD HUNSTANTON (Revoked)
30464Related to: Hunstanton Park (Designed Landscape)
MNO6327Related to: The Octagon Hunstanton Hall OLD HUNSTANTON (Revoked)

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