In Norfolk, a historic Tudor manor house asks for £3.9m

This Norfolk property has ties to Henry VII and VIII and is a stunning example of Tudor architecture, boasting the largest brick Tudor barn in England.

Hales Hall was built in 1478 by Sir James Hobart, a right-hand man of Henry VII (and later knighted by Henry VIII). The present house is the surviving wing of the great Tudor manor that sits on nine acres of land around 13 miles outside of Norwich. In Hobart’s day, the manor was surrounded by a trio of moats, defensive walls, and the 184-ft-long brick barn—its 180 loophole windows used to defend the estate from attack.

In subsequent centuries, Hales Hall was occupied by tenant farmers. However, it eventually fell into disrepair before being bought by the Read family in 1971, who set about restoring the manor and its crumbling outbuildings over 30 years. (The family published a book documenting their labour of love, titled Hales Hall in Loddon.)

In 2014, the Tudor property was sold to historic building renovators Peter Sheppard and Keith Day of Sheppard Day Associates. It underwent a second, award-winning restoration, which updated it with 21st-century amenities while preserving its 15th-century style. Its 1601 roof was retiled, chimneys rebuilt in Tudor brick, and windows reinstated.

The Grade I-listed building was sold again in 2017 and currently operates as a family home and events business, with its historic barn hosting up to 48 weddings per year. The 184-ft-long barn’s roof is crossed by warped timber beams dating from the 1400s and is among the best preserved (and biggest) of its kind in the UK.

The interiors of the seven-bedroom, seven-bath house, meanwhile, feature historic timber and lime plaster, open log fires, and a new three-storey oak staircase connecting the levels. Its seven reception rooms retain their period feel, the country kitchen has been updated with bespoke cabinets and an Aga, while the bathrooms have cast-iron roll-top baths.

The grounds are also impressive, with formal lawns, topiary and flower beds, meadows and a productive orchard.

Blue Book Agency and Savills are listing the historic Norfolk property with an asking price of £3.9m.