Somerleyton Hall |
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Suffolk Travel Guide
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Somerleyton Hall
In 1610 the Hall was rebuilt by John Wentworth in the Tudor red-brick style so often seen in East Anglian houses of this period. The house was sacked by Parliamentary troops during the English Civil War, and the estate eventually passed to the Anguish family, who owned it until the mid-Victorian period. In 1842 Somerleyton was purchased by a successful businessman Sir Morton Peto. It is to Peto that we owe the house we can see today at Somerleyton. Sir Morton Peto Among the projects which he helped build are the Houses of Parliament and Nelson's Column in London, and, closer to home, Lowestoft harbour and esplanade. A tireless worker for bettering condition of his workers, Peto was also a great public benefactor, putting large sums of his own money into public projects. Peto spared no expense in his lavish rebuilding of Somerleyton Hall. From 1844-1851 he had the house and grounds completely rebuilt in sumptuous style. The architect of Peto's vision was John Thomas, who had previously worked for Sir Charles Barry on the Houses of Parliament. Thomas kept little from the older Jacobean mansion, replacing it with an ornate structure with touches of French, Italian, and Dutch styles. In 1863 Somerleyton was sold to Sir Francis Crossley to pay off Peto's rising debts, and the Crossley family holds the estate to this day. Crossley, who, like Peto, was a prominent philanthropist, made his fortune in the cloth industry by automating the process of making carpets. Highlights of the Hall The marvelous domed Entrance Hall is supported on a dozen oak pillars, and features some very attractive stained glass with patterns of birds. Less expected, and all the more striking for it, are two large stuffed polar bears, souvenirs of Lord Somerleyton's 1897 excursion to the Arctic. The Oak Room is worth noting; it is lined with paneling from the Jacobean house, and the wood for the paneling was milled from trees grown on the Somerleyton estate. A magnificent gilt mirror hangs between the windows of the Oak Room; this was originally built in the early 18th century for the Doge's palace in Venice.
The gardens are notable for the number and variety of evergreens. Though evergreens are not uncommon today, Somerleyton was one of the first houses to feature the conifers when they were first introduced to Britain in the 17th century. In addition to the evergreens, there are fine specimen trees, such as Giant Redwood and Eucalyptus, as well as the more traditionally British herbaceous borders, roses and topiary yews. A unique Tunnel Garden houses a collection of old and unusual gardening utensils. The most popular feature of all, however, is the yew maze, first planted in 1846 by William Nesfield. A journey of some 365 feet (assuming no wrong turns!) leads visitors to a Chinese pagoda topping a small mound in the centre of the maze. Location Entry Contact Photos used by kind permission of Somerleyton Hall Related:
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One
of the premier stately homes in East Anglia, Somerleyton is an early
Victorian mansion built upon the foundations of a 13th century house.
That first manor was built by Sir Peter Fitzosbert in about 1240, though
it later passed through marriage to the Jernegan family, who owned the
estate until the early 17th century. 
The
Gardens