A fascinating house in Norfolk that dates back to the early years of Henry VIII
A few miles east of Norwich lies The Old Hall, a magnificent Tudor home that's gone through centuries of ups and downs, and which is now looking for a new custodian.


Approached by a long, tree-lined drive, The Old Hall at Barnham Broom in Norfolk stands in more than 11 acres of land on the banks of the River Yare, surrounded by farmland, yet only 10 miles west of the thriving cathedral city of Norwich.
The house offers more than 7,300sq ft of family-friendly living space, including four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, seven bedrooms and four bathrooms.
But there is plenty to attract buyers beyond that, including a chapel, stables and fabulous Tudor-style gardens at this delightfully-pretty Grade I-listed home. Following the owners’ decision to downsize, it is now on the market via Savills at £1.75 million.
The ups and downs of the place have seen a number of restorations over the years, but everything has been carefully done.
As a result, The Old Hall’s original architecture, including some recently discovered Tudor wall-paintings and oak carvings, has stayed remarkably intact over the centuries.
The original Tudor building was erected in 1514 by Sir Edward Chamberlayne, who accompanied Henry VIII to the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520.
In 1614, the house was remodelled by Sir Edward’s great-grandson, also Edward, who installed the magnificent plasterwork ceiling in the first-floor Great Chamber, now the drawing room. He may also have remodelled the rest of the house, which incorporates much of the earlier 16th-century building, although lack of funds probably inhibited a full-scale renovation.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The Chamberlaynes were an old family, but apparently neither rich enough, nor influential enough, to profit from the Dissolution of the monasteries and, by the turn of the 17th century, their fortunes were in decline.
In 1663, Barton Broom was sold to Sir Philip Woodhouse of nearby Kimberley and became a farmhouse, which remained part of the Kimberley estate until the latter was dismantled in 1923.
Thereafter it fell into disrepair until the 1960s, when it was rescued by a Mr and Mrs A. R. Hawker.
Architectural historian Mark Girouard spoke about the restoration of the house in Country Life in February 23, 1967, using it as a classic example of the situation faced at that time by some of East Anglia’s oldest, but least-known small manor houses.
‘Some of them have been done up and become gentry houses again,’ he wrote.
‘Others have been abandoned, and stand with sagging roofs and gaping windows in the desolate remains of their gardens.
‘Barnham Broom was for many years in the last class, and had, in fact, virtually been given up in despair by preservation societies, although they still doggedly tried to find a buyer. So it was very satisfying to find that it had been bought in the nick of time by Mr and Mrs A. R. Hawker and restored with both care and style – the latter a quality not always found in those who are interested in old buildings.’
Sadly, the restoration of the house by Mr and Mrs Hawker was not quite the expected happy ending to The Old Hall’s long saga of neglect. Its present owner, Hartley Booth – who, with his wife, Adrianne, bought the hall in 1977 – explains:
‘I was a young barrister working in London, when my wife and I got engaged and started looking for a house.
‘Having grown up in Norfolk, I knew there were lots of old manors around in need of repair, so I trawled through the lists of “Houses at Risk” and eventually found Barnham Broom. By then, the Hawkers had sold the house and it had once again fallen into disrepair.’
Following their London wedding, the young couple set off to spend their honeymoon at The Old Hall and, three days later, were woken by the sound of rain pouring through the roof onto the landing outside their room.
It was the start of a 41-year programme of restoration and improvement, which included a long-running battle against death-watch beetle and dry rot.
Over time, they rewired and re-plumbed throughout and restored the large, arched, 16th-century window in the dining room. They bought more land to protect the setting of the house, creating an arboretum of broadleaf trees in memory of John Evelyn, based on his Sylva: A Discourse of Forest-Trees (1664).
They also dredged and restored the spring-fed moat, a special feature of the Tudor-themed gardens laid out around the house by Mrs Booth.
The Old Hall in Barnham Broom is for sale via Savills at £1.75m – see more pictures and details.
A sprawling and beautifully-restored country house with woodland in the heart of Surrey
Tucked away near Farnham in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty you'll find Sentry Hill, a gorgeous country
Credit: OTM
A fabulous converted lighthouse for sale at a bargain price, with the ‘best views in Somerset’
An incredibly rare opportunity has come up to buy a lighthouse overlooking one of Somerset's most famously beautiful beaches.
Credit: Savills
A Victorian schoolhouse transformed into a magnificent family home near Oxford
This gorgeous former school in Oxfordshire is light and spacious, full of character and sits within glorious gardens.
-
Two quick and easy seasonal asparagus recipes to try this Easter Weekend
Asparagus has royal roots — it was once a favourite of Madame de Pompadour.
By Melanie Johnson Published
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtower
On Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtower
On Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in Kent
Grade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attached
Upper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
By James Fisher Published
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?
It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
What should 1.5 million new homes look like?
The King's recent visit to Nansledan with the Prime Minister gives us a clue as to Labour's plans, but what are the benefits of traditional architecture? And can they solve a housing crisis?
By Lucy Denton Published
-
Welcome to the modern party barn, where disco balls are 'non-negotiable'
A party barn is the ultimate good-time utopia, devoid of the toil of a home gym or the practicalities of a home office. Modern efforts are a world away from the draughty, hay-bales-and-a-hi-fi set-up of yesteryear.
By Madeleine Silver Published
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country Life
Our pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The finest interiors in Edinburgh? A seven-bedroom townhouse furnished by Robert Kime comes to market
Situated on one of the New Town's grandest terraces, this four-storey property is a collector's dream.
By James Fisher Published