A beautiful Suffolk country house that's spent over 500 years in the same family
The Copingers have been at Copinger Hall for half a millennium, in an incredible — though not unbroken — line of succession. Now, though, the house is looking for new owners.


There’s something quite intriguing and extraordinary about houses which have spent hundreds of years in the same family. The example which springs quickly to mind is Broughton Hall, family home of Country Life’s cartoonist, Annie Tempest; the Tempests have lived in the house for 1,000 years.
And while not quite in that league, Copinger Hall — in the Suffolk village of Buxhall, three miles from the busy market town of Stowmarket — has spent an astonishing 500 years in the Copinger family. Unlike the Tempests., that tenure hasn’t been unbroken, since Copinger Hall was owned by others between 1940 and 1980, only to be brought back into the family. Today, it’s leaving the family’s hands once more, and Tim Dansie of Jackson-Stops in Ipswich is handling the sale of the major part of the Grade II-listed home at £1.5 million.
The hall stands in magnificent formal gardens and grounds of 4.7 acres next to Buxhall’s parish church of which many Copingers were rectors over the years.
Copinger Hall offers more than 5,000sq ft of accommodation including three fine reception rooms, six bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Of particular note, says Mr Dansie, is ‘the striking, light-filled drawing room with its open fireplace and large bay window overlooking the garden, and upstairs, the master bedroom with its matching bay overlooking the church, garden and grounds’.
Outside, the restored timber-framed barn, where Mr Minoprio stored his racing cars and trophies, provides a wonderful space for both work and entertaining.
With the exception of a brief period between 1940 and 1980, the Hall has been the home of the Copinger family for more than 500 years. One family member, William Copinger, who owned it in 1902, wrote the definitive history of the village and this part of mid Suffolk where, in the early 17th century, a local historian extolled ‘the wholesome sweetness of the aire (which) attracted and kept here many gentry’.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The present vendor, Mrs Lisa Minoprio, and her late husband — the retired racing driver Stephen Minoprio — bought back Copinger Hall in 1980 and spent two and a half years renovating the house, restoring the grounds and working with garden designers on the driveway. In 1990, the former domestic offices were divided off to create an independent garden wing with its own entrance which was occupied by Mrs Minoprio’s sister until she sold it eight years ago.
When Stephen Minoprio died in February last year, his obituary in Autosport magazine summed up his life as one ‘filled with adventure. Between flying planes in Africa, sailing the Atlantic on his yacht, and racing fast cars, there was rarely a dull moment’. During their tenure, the Minoprios have been very much part of Buxhall village life and Copinger Hall, which has hosted the annual church fête since 1949, won’t be the same without them.
Copinger Hall is for sale at £1.5m — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Vertigo at Victoria Falls, a sunset surrounded by lions and swimming in the Nile: A journey from Cape Town to Cairo
Why do we travel and who inspires us to do so? Chris Wallace went in search of answers on his own epic journey the length of Africa.
By Christopher Wallace Published
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River Tay
Carnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
By James Fisher Published
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River Tay
Carnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
By James Fisher Published
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country Life
We take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producers
Stormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in Kent
North Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
By James Fisher Published
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streets
This six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
By James Fisher Published
-
A tale of everyday life as lived on Britain's most expensive street
Winnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
By Lotte Brundle Last updated
-
Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow down
The glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heart
Stokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
By Penny Churchill Published