Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Map of Lost Country Houses in Suffolk
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Glossary of Architectural Terms
- Introduction: The Social and Economic Background
- Country House Losses in Suffolk – An Overview
- Acton Place Demolished 1825 and 1960
- Assington Hall Destroyed by Fire 1957
- Barking Hall Demolished 1926
- Barton Hall Destroyed by Fire 1914
- Boulge Hall Demolished 1955
- Bramford Hall Demolished 1956
- Branches Park Demolished 1957
- Bredfield House Demolished 1950
- Brome Hall Demolished c. 1958
- Campsea Ashe High House Demolished 1953
- Carlton Hall Destroyed by Fire 1941
- Cavenham Hall Demolished 1949
- Chediston Hall Demolished 1955
- Downham Hall Demolished 1925
- Drinkstone Park Demolished 1951
- Easton Park Demolished 1923
- Edwardstone Hall Demolished 1952
- Flixton Hall Demolished 1952/3
- Fornham Hall Demolished 1951
- Hardwick House Demolished 1926/7
- Henham Hall Demolished 1953/4
- Hobland Hall Damaged by Fire 1961, The Reinstated Ground Floor Demolished 2002
- Holton Hall, Holton St Peter Demolished 1957
- Hunston Hall Destroyed by Fire 1917
- Livermere Hall Demolished 1923
- The Manor House, Mildenhall Demolished 1934
- Moulton Paddocks Demolished 1950
- Oakley Park, Otherwise Hoxne Hall Demolished 1923
- Ousden Hall Demolished 1955
- The Red House, Ipswich Demolished 1937
- Redgrave Hall Demolished — The Georgian Building 1947, The Tudor Building 1970
- Rendlesham Hall Demolished 1949
- Rougham Hall Ruined by Bombing in 1940
- Rushbrooke Hall Destroyed by Fire During Demolition 1961
- Stoke Park Demolished c. 1930
- Sudbourne Hall Demolished 1951
- Tendring Hall Demolished 1954
- Thorington Hall Demolished 1949
- Thornham Hall Partly Demolished 1938, Partly Destroyed by Fire 1954
- Ufford Place Demolished 1956
- Appendix
- Notes to the Text
- Bibliography
- Index of Names
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Map of Lost Country Houses in Suffolk
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Glossary of Architectural Terms
- Introduction: The Social and Economic Background
- Country House Losses in Suffolk – An Overview
- Acton Place Demolished 1825 and 1960
- Assington Hall Destroyed by Fire 1957
- Barking Hall Demolished 1926
- Barton Hall Destroyed by Fire 1914
- Boulge Hall Demolished 1955
- Bramford Hall Demolished 1956
- Branches Park Demolished 1957
- Bredfield House Demolished 1950
- Brome Hall Demolished c. 1958
- Campsea Ashe High House Demolished 1953
- Carlton Hall Destroyed by Fire 1941
- Cavenham Hall Demolished 1949
- Chediston Hall Demolished 1955
- Downham Hall Demolished 1925
- Drinkstone Park Demolished 1951
- Easton Park Demolished 1923
- Edwardstone Hall Demolished 1952
- Flixton Hall Demolished 1952/3
- Fornham Hall Demolished 1951
- Hardwick House Demolished 1926/7
- Henham Hall Demolished 1953/4
- Hobland Hall Damaged by Fire 1961, The Reinstated Ground Floor Demolished 2002
- Holton Hall, Holton St Peter Demolished 1957
- Hunston Hall Destroyed by Fire 1917
- Livermere Hall Demolished 1923
- The Manor House, Mildenhall Demolished 1934
- Moulton Paddocks Demolished 1950
- Oakley Park, Otherwise Hoxne Hall Demolished 1923
- Ousden Hall Demolished 1955
- The Red House, Ipswich Demolished 1937
- Redgrave Hall Demolished — The Georgian Building 1947, The Tudor Building 1970
- Rendlesham Hall Demolished 1949
- Rougham Hall Ruined by Bombing in 1940
- Rushbrooke Hall Destroyed by Fire During Demolition 1961
- Stoke Park Demolished c. 1930
- Sudbourne Hall Demolished 1951
- Tendring Hall Demolished 1954
- Thorington Hall Demolished 1949
- Thornham Hall Partly Demolished 1938, Partly Destroyed by Fire 1954
- Ufford Place Demolished 1956
- Appendix
- Notes to the Text
- Bibliography
- Index of Names
Summary
MY INTEREST IN ‘LOST HOUSES’ stems back to the ‘Destruction of the Country House’ exhibition in London's Victoria and Albert Museum in 1974 and the accompanying book of the same name. Looking back over more than thirty years, I think that there were two things that fascinated me when I saw the photographs in that exhibition and in the book.
The first was that so much of the country's heritage had been lost. Of course, I recognised that some of the houses were not architectural gems and many were so large as to be economically unsustainable in the twentieth century. Nevertheless I wondered how anyone could have destroyed some of the houses depicted, houses designed by the great builders and architects of past centuries often with magnificent interiors by master craftsmen. The second was the knowledge that the houses portrayed had, in their hey-day, played an integral part in the life of the communities in which they were situated, employing large numbers of people both in the houses and on the surrounding estates. I wondered what the impact of the destruction of the ‘big house’ had been on the people who owned them and worked in them.
My interest in the subject remained but was rekindled by the publication in 2002 of the late Giles Worsley's book England's Lost Houses and the related exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum. My wife and I were, at that time, contemplating moving from north-west Essex to Suffolk, and the idea of engaging in some research into Suffolk's lost houses appealed to me. I wrote to Giles Worsley, who responded encouragingly and made the point that it would be particularly worthwhile to seek out information on the reasons why specific houses were demolished. These have proved difficult to ascertain: whether I have in any way succeeded is for others to judge.
Most of the research has been undertaken using local sources particularly archive material in the branches of the Suffolk Record Office at Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Lowestoft. I am indebted to the staff of those offices, too many to name individually, for their assistance. Their help in guiding me through the catalogues and suggesting sources of information has been invaluable, and their services (which have included the provision of many of the illustrations) have been offered with unfailing courtesy and forbearance. Without their assistance this book could never have been written.
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- Lost Country Houses of Suffolk , pp. xiii - xivPublisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2010