NHER 8159 (Building record) - Sprowston Hall

Sprowston Hall.

Original hall built by John Corbett who died in 1559. Rebuilt 1876. There formerly stood an oak in the park planted on the day Charles I was executed, by Miles Corbett, who signed his death warrant. (S1).
Ordnance Survey say the Hall has date stones of 1877, 1880, and 1900.
Visited E. Rose (NAU), 20 July 1977.

Hall is in redbrick, 'Tudor' style, on an unusually irregular plan, perhaps preserving the old layout. The Ordnance Survey are wrong in their last date which should be 1907, on the porch. 1877 appears on the east wing and 1880 on the west and south. Heavy beamed ceilings in interior. Good condition, used as country club. Owner of White House Farm, Sprowston says that the tree was cut down in 1943, and he obtained part of it to make a door. He also knows of a story that there was a chapel here. Above informant was owner of Heggatt Hall, Horstead. He later said in a letter that carved stones from the chapel were built into a rockery by his parents in 1905.
See letter and sketch in file.
Site revisited 1977 but occupied by air raid shelters etc. from last war - no trace of stones.
E. Rose (NAU), 1 December 1977

Acting on information received from Broadland District Council that an underground beer store had been erected without permission and that 'lumps of stone' had been found, E. Rose (NAU), visited site 13 October 1978.
Trench immediately east of Hall around 4m x 2m with store inside was cut through around 30cm topsoil over 1.5m sandy soil on light grey sandy natural. 'Stones' were large cobble-like blocks, probably natural. Some 18th century bricks dumped nearby were apparently from elsewhere.
E. Rose (NAU).

During World War Two the hall was the headquarters of GOC Eastern Command.
E. Rose (NLA), 22 January 2002.