This exceptional Grade I listed manor house sits in 31 acres of mature gardens, woodland, paddocks and water meadows on the banks of the River Glem.
Thurston End Hall is situated in the rolling Suffolk countryside in a small rural hamlet on the edge of the quintessential english village of Hawkedon. In his Buildings of England Pevsner describes Thurston End Hall as ‘quite a showpiece’ and today, it is impressive as ever.
The original manor house, described in Domesday, was almost certainly surrounded by a moat, parts of which can still be seen. The present hall, which may well have been built as early as the late 15th century, with only three sets of subsequent alterations since.
The first alterations were made in 1530-40, when the huge chimney stack was added and, then, in the early 1600s, by Richard Everard whose family held Thurston End from 1552. He added the porch, dated 1607, replaced the original stairs with a six-flight staircase and panelled some of the principal rooms.
The final alterations took place in the 1920s, when Bernard Gaussen and his wife, France-Doucha (a direct descendant of the Bonapartes), restored the house and added the scalloped bargeboards on the gables and the intricate wood carving that add a final touch of enchantment to this remarkable house.
In total, the hall has some 7,000sq ft of accommodation, including four main reception rooms – all remarkably light and bright for a house of its age – along with a breakfast room, a playroom, various utilities, four principal bedrooms, four bathrooms and four further bedrooms on the second floor. It also boasts a new kitchen and an impressive wine cellar.
It comes with an intriguing, timber-clad, three-bedroom Goose Cottage and a traditional courtyard of historic outbuildings, including two timber framed barns, cart sheds and loose boxes. Modern sporting essentials can also be found in the form of a heated swimming pool and an Astroturf tennis court.
Thurston End Hall is approached via a five-bar gate which opens onto a gravel drive flanked by lawns and a pond. The property is surrounded by wonderful gardens to all sides: sweeping lawns, mature beds and herbaceous borders to the south and five fenced water meadows, paddocks and some attractive woodland running along the banks of the River Glem to the north west.
Hawkedon itself is a delightful village, with a traditional village green, 15th-century church and quaint medieval houses. The local pub, The Queen’s Head is award winning and very much the centre of the local community.
The property is well located and offers easy access to many favoured Suffolk towns and villages including Clare (6 miles), Bury St Edmunds (10 miles) and Lavenham (11 miles), which are thriving local centres offering a range of shopping, cultural and recreational amenities. The city of Cambridge is 27 miles away and Newmarket, the home of British Racing is just 14 miles away.
The guide price is £2.5m. For further information please contact Savills on 01473 234 830.
