NHER 3552 (Building record) - Oxnead Hall

May 1973.
Surveyed during MPBW funded rapid moat survey.
See (S1).
J. Allen (NLA), 15 August 2001.

Moated site to southeast is a later water garden.
Cellars remain of Paston's mansion late 16th century; also stables and kitchens (not 19th century as given by (S2) and (S3)), base of garden gateway, entrance gate, barn.
Earthworks of gardens.
14th/15th century windows reused as folly.
Listed grade II* (stables, kitchens) and grade II (barn, garden walls, gates etc).
See (S4).
E. Rose, 29 April 1988.

February 2003.
Most of the area south of the Hall has been landscaped into a parterre and other water features, making identification of the older moated site extremely difficult.
H. Paterson (A&E), 26 February 2003.

Oxnead was rebuilt by Sir Clement Paston in the late 16th century, and became one of the most magnificent houses in England during the 17th century, under the care of Sir William Paston, and Sir Robert Paston. Inventories of the house and gardens from the late 17th century describe nearly 80 rooms, and some of the treasures from the house are now in the collections of Norwich Castle Museum. The gardens themselves were at the forefront of Renaissance design in Norfolk, and household accounts record the planting of walks and avenues, leading into the park. The famous sculptor, Nicholas Stone, designed a number of statues and a an iron pergola for the gardens, as well as interior fittings such as chimneypieces. The Hall was sold in 1731 after the failure of the male line, and was demolished later in the 18th century.
See (S5).
Sarah Spooner (NLA) 7 October 2005

(S6) added to secondary file. Includes copy of John Adey Repton's reconstruction drawing and plan.
A. Yardy (HES), 16 August 2011.

November 2011. Watching brief during installation of French drains.
The trench adjacent to the barn revealed the foundations which were of a double-step construction. The trench adjacent to the house was not monitored while it was excavated, but subsequent recording revealed the flint and brick foundations of the wall of the house. Two foundations most probably associated with bay windows were recorded, as were two further foundations which may have served as buttresses to the bay windows. An octagonal brick structure, perhaps the remains of the base of a column was also recorded.
See (S7) for further information.
A. Cattermole (HES), 6 November 2014.