Kentwell Hall, a Tudor jewel in Suffolk

Visit to Kentwell Hall - Tuesday 17th June

We approached Kentwell Hall, in the village of Long Melford, along a lime tree avenue and were met at the gate, by Judith Phillips and she was to be our tour guide! She and her husband, Patrick, being the owners of this red brick Tudor, moated house, in nearly 30 acres of formal gardens and grounds, built between 1500 and 1678.

Patrick, a London lawyer, purchased the empty, near derelict house, in 1971, and has transformed it into a much-loved family home, through extensive renovations and repairs and these continue to this day. In 1975 money was raised for the much needed restoration and repairs, by holding cookery classes, run by a friend of Judith’s, and the first of many Christmas concerts. In 1976 it was decided to open to the public.

The tour started in the paved courtyard, which is in the form of a maze, with a Tudor rose design. Inside we saw the great Tudor kitchen, early armorial and other stained glass, portraits of Tudor notables and historic tapestries and an exciting mix of fine paintings. We passed through the great hall, dining room, bedrooms, the amazing bathroom and the library and billiard room – no wonder this location has been used in films, most notable ‘Wind in the Willows’.

We had time for refreshments, in the stable yard tearooms, and to view the sculptured cedar tree. This was damaged in the 1987 hurricane and other storms later and, rather than having it felled, was sculptured into a version of the tower of Babel. Some of us had time to view the quirky topiary yews and extensive gardens and we all thought this had been a most memorable and enjoyable visit.

The magnificent bathroom

A fascinating artistic use for the dead tree