Somerleyton Hall

Over het museum

Somerleyton is recorded as a settlement from Norse times, and after the Norman conquest the manor passed to Sir Peter Fitzosbert. The Jernigan family built an early Tudor house there, and after 1558 the lawyer John Wentworth acquired the estate and built a Jacobean mansion with Dutch gables, stables and elaborate pleasure grounds. The estate then declined until the 1840s.

The hall seen today is the work of Sir Samuel Morton Peto, a Victorian railway builder and engineer, who bought the estate and engaged John Thomas, sculptor and architect to Prince Albert, to rebuild and extend the Jacobean house in an Italianate style, with two towers that dominate the skyline. William Andrews Nesfield, a leading garden designer, laid out the grounds, and the yew hedge maze was planted in 1846. A clock tower designed by Vulliamy was a rejected entry in the competition that led to Big Ben.

Peto went bankrupt in 1861 and sold the estate to Sir Francis Crossley, a carpet manufacturer and politician. The Crossley family, who hold the title Baron Somerleyton, still own the estate and live in the hall, which is partly open for tours on selected days. The gardens cover 12 acres and have been re-imagined in recent years, including the Nesfield Parterre restored between 2012 and 2014, a white garden, an arboretum with several county champion trees and a walled garden with a jungle garden. The hall was used as a filming location for the television series The Crown.

Hoogtepunten

• Victorian hall with Italianate towers by John Thomas
• Guided hall tours on selected days from May to September
• Yew hedge maze planted in 1846
• Nesfield Parterre with a large sundial
• Arboretum with county champion trees
• Walled garden with a jungle garden

Vaste collectie

• Somerleyton Hall tours – Guided tours of the Victorian hall, shaped by the sculptor and architect John Thomas, on selected days between May and September.
• Somerleyton gardens – Twelve acres of gardens including the Nesfield Parterre, white garden, arboretum, walled garden and the yew hedge maze.

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The prices are for the gardens only (adult aged 17 to 59). Tickets can be booked online or bought at the entrance. Historic Houses members enter the gardens free, but hall tours are paid for on the door. RHS members enter free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from May to September, but cards are not valid for events or groups. English Heritage cards are not accepted. Events are priced separately.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Nearly all areas of the garden are accessible, but some are limited by slopes and steps and some paths are uneven and difficult for small-wheeled chairs; lawns can be used. Full access cannot be provided because of the historic nature of the garden. An accessible toilet is at the top of the gardens. The hall tour is described as wheelchair accessible, with uneven ground because of the age of the building. Only guide and assistance dogs are allowed.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops

The estate describes the gardens as a family day out, with the yew hedge maze and a family ticket. Seasonal events include an Easter egg hunt, a pumpkin trail and a Halloween event during October half term. Hall tours are not suitable for children under 10.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The address for satnav is Somerleyton Hall, Lovingland, Suffolk NR32 5QQ.

Service & horeca

• Café

The Somerleyton Tea Room serves light bites, toasties, scones, cream teas and cakes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sunday Bank Holidays from 10:30 to 15:30, and during events. Picnics are not welcome in the gardens.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

The hall is offered for private stays, weddings and bespoke events through the Private Somerleyton website, and the estate is also used for filming.

Je bezoek plannen