NHER 7358 (Building record) - Heydon Hall

15 September 1977. Visit.
Built 1581 to 4.
Brick with cemented mullions etc. South front has angle shafts with finials, also on two bay windows and porch. All windows mullioned and transomed. Gothic doorway with heraldry above. Four rows of polygonal chimneys, two rows north to south and two east to west. Wooden cupola. North front has original classical doorway, and two bay windows, but (S1) says all detail here is 19th century, and this appears to be correct.
Later additions to east have recently been demolished, revealing original windows in gables, as in west side. 19th century west extension, 1820 to 60, and west from this the bases of demolished walls are now surrounding a garden. Is this the loggia of 1925 that replaced an orangery of 1797, mentioned by (S1)? East extension was of 1797, Elizabethanised in 1820 to 60; only ground floor remains. Here is also a small outbuilding with two shaped gables, and another like a castellated tower: both have 16th century brick in lower courses but upper parts seem 19th century. Of latter date also a clock tower of wood above four shaped gables over an arch. Interior of hall has one 17th century fireplace, all the others are 18th century: some panelling.
To the northeast an original walled garden, tall chequered brickwork.
To the southeast a group of farm buildings, consisting of a barn with two cart doors under shaped gable, a cart shed with shaped gables, and a row of cottages with stepped gables in façade: all seem to have 17th century brickwork in their lower courses, but upper parts are of 1820 to 60, bearing the Bulwer cypher.
(Lord Bulwer-Lytton was born here, and Cromwell stayed here).
E. Rose (NAU), 15 September 1977.

Hall is listed grade I. Garden wall, attached east service range, Keepers Cottage range, clock tower, old estate office, walled garden, cart lodges, barn, stable and cottage range all listed Grade II.
See the listing (S2) for more details on the above buildings.
E. Rose (NLA), 9 August 1994.

Also listed Grade II is a deer shelter with reused keystone at rear of hall; added to list 1995.

Press cuttings (S3), (S4), (S5) and (S6) in file, as are architect's plans for Stable Cottage (S7).

13 July 1993. NLA air photography.
Photographs of hall and associated buildings.
Relict garden features can be detected.
S. Massey (NLA), 12 February 2001.

7 January 2004. Visit.
The 'row of cottages with stepped gables' mentioned in the 1977 entry includes stables on part of the ground floor. The 1977 comment is correct, the ground floor walling to the courtyard is 17th century in English bond with traces of altered openings but the upper floor is 19th century, as is all the rear elevation where there are altered round headed openings with coloured voussoirs. Possibly this may date from earlier in the century than the alteration of the façade of the upper floor. The stable interiors have good loose box partitions, and semicircular shafts for dropping hay from the loft.
E. Rose (NLA), 10 January 2004.