Listed Grade II, the moated Victorian The Clock Tower sits in some 2½ acres of secluded gardens and grounds within the parkland of Old Hunstanton Hall, yet within easy walking distance of the sea.
For sale with Jackson-Stops in Burnham Market, agent Carolyn Hayward quotes a guide price of £1.8m for the impeccably maintained main house and grounds. A refurbished two-bedroom former coachman’s cottage — currently a popular holiday let through Norfolk Hideaways — is available by separate negotiation, but only to the buyer of The Clock Tower.
The Historic England listing for The Clock Tower, dated 1873 and originally known as Stable Court, tentatively attributes the building’s High Gothic design to the Victorian architect Frederick Preedy, whose cousin Henry Styleman Le Strange inherited the Hunstanton Hall estate in 1839; he is best remembered as the developer of Hunstanton as a Victorian coastal resort. Preedy also designed and manufactured his own stained-glass windows, 400 of which are installed in churches up and down the country from North Yorkshire to Devon.
After centuries of Le Strange family ownership, Grade I-listed Old Hunstanton Hall, which dates from the 15th century, was split up and sold off in the late 1950s. In 1984, the previous owners of the former stable courtyard engaged eminent Norfolk-based architect Charles Morris to redesign and renovate the building, which they renamed The Clock Tower.
A quiet private road sweeps through the Hall parkland and crosses a small bridge over the moat to arrive at The Clock Tower, where the original large wooden doors open onto the enclosed courtyard garden with its brick paving and raised feature pond; the building wraps around the courtyard with most rooms opening onto it. The River Hun, the source of which lies within the grounds of Hunstanton Park, forms the moat that borders the property on two sides.
Under the entrance archway, the front door leads into the reception hallway, which has a bespoke bookcase designed by Morris, with stairs leading up to the split-level master suite. Further along the hallway is a cosy sitting room, the original harness room. Next comes the library/music room, fitted with bookshelves and a stable door leading onto the courtyard.
The exceptionally large kitchen/ dining room offers wonderful views over the moat and garden. Leading off the kitchen is The Clock Tower’s pièce-de-résistance, the truly spectacular drawing room with its full-height windows, doors to the courtyard, and —perhaps inspired by Preedy—a dramatic full-height, Gothic stone-mullioned window designed by Morris on the garden side of the room. The bedroom wing houses three double bedrooms, a family bathroom and a further bathroom and utility room.
The present vendors, who bought The Clock Tower in 2018, carried out a programme of light refurbishment that included electrical work, complete redecoration and the installation of some wooden flooring. They also replaced the old scaffolding bridge over the moat with two new painted Iroko wooden bridges.
They confess to falling in love with the courtyard setting, the original working clock and the building’s unique historic character, with its moat fed from a natural chalk spring. Once sold, they say they will miss The Clock Tower’s ideal location so close to the beaches of the beautiful North Norfolk coastline, yet so private and peaceful, and teeming with wonderful wildlife.
Credit: Knight Frank
Nine glorious country houses for sale, as seen in Country Life
A picture-perfect Somerset home that generates £100k income is among this week's beautiful properties for sale.
A gorgeous country home with grace, space and an original medieval moat
East Donyland Hall has come to the market, a superb home set in 83 acres. Penny Churchill takes a look
The Country Life Podcast
Listen to all the episodes of the Country Life Podcast.
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
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
Exploring the countryside is essential for our wellbeing, but Right to Roam is going backwardsCampaigners in England often point to Scotland as an example of how brilliantly Right to Roam works, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, says Patrick Galbraith.
-
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.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, 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.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
-
A tale of everyday life as lived on Britain's most expensive streetWinnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
-
Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow downThe glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heartStokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for saleThe five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
