Farmstead record HWN 026 - Farmstead: Thurston Hall

Thurston Hall is a farmstead visible on the 1st Ed Os map. The farmstead is laid out in a regular full-plan with the farmhouse detached and set away from the yard. The farmstead sits alongside a public road in an isolated location. This farmstead survives intact with conversion for residential use. (S1-4)

Range of farm buildings in the grounds of Thurston Hall, a 16th C moated manor house (HWN 002). The first building is a 16th C timber-framed and weatherboarded barn on a red brick plinth with a thatched roof. The barn has 6 bays and a small porch which faces the moat. There is another 16th C barn at this site, which is timber-framed and weatherboarded with a slate roof. This barn re-uses a number of 14th C timbers and the east gable was rebuilt in the early 19th C. In addition there is a 19th C cartlodge and cowhouse which is timber-framed and weatherboarded with a tiled roof. The cartlodge fills two bays of this structure, while the cow house uses a third and has a concrete floor which whitewashed walls and rafters. Some of the timbers are re-used and are late 16th-17th C in date and appear to have been previously used in a domestic structure as they show evidence for diamond mulions (S5).

Recorded as part of the Farmsteads in the Suffolk Countryside Project. This is a purely desk-based study and no site visits were undertaken. These records are not intended to be a definitive assessment of these buildings. Dating reflects their presence at a point in time on historic maps and there is potential for earlier origins to buildings and farmsteads. This project highlights a potential need for a more in depth field study of farmstead to gather more specific age data.

Taken with NRHE record:
Built circa 1500 and enlarged in 1607 this much restored manor house is quite a show piece. A carved strip with the date 1607 is over the entrance. There is the SE side of a large moat here. Grade 2*.

Thurston Hall (name confirmed) is entirely early 16th century with a later three storied porch added in 1607. The later addition to this outstanding timber-framed hall has not detracted from the original appearance. See photo. The hall is surrounded on the east, south and west sides by a part waterfilled homestead moat which averages 8.0m wide, and 2.5m deep. No trace of the northern half of the moat survives; it was probably destroyed by later farm development.

Published survey (25") revised.