Somerleyton
Somerleyton | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | Lowestoft | |
Postcode district | NR32 | |
Dialling code | 01502 | |
UK Parliament | ||
Somerleyton
The village is on the edge of The Broads national park with the River Waveney forming the western boundary of the former parish. This forms the county border with Norfolk and the Suffolk village of Blundeston is to the east. The village has a population of around 300.[2]
History
At the time of the Domesday Book, the manor of Somerleyton was held by the king. It was named Sumerledetuna and was recorded as having 17 families living in the village.[1][4] The manor was owned by the Jernegan family from the early 14th century. The family built Somerleyton Hall in around 1579.[1][5]
The hall was bought by Sir Thomas Wentworth in the early 17th century and was substantially remodelled by the Wentworth family as a mansion house. This included a 52 hectares (130 acres) deer park which was established by 1652. The estate was occupied by
Peto directed the rebuilding of the village at the same time, creating a model village based on Blaise Hamlet near Bristol. The development of both the hall and village was designed by John Thomas.[6][8][9] The rebuilding process bankrupted Peto and the estate was sold to Sir Francis Crossley, a carpet manufacturer from Halifax, West Yorkshire. The title of Baron Somerleyton was created for Crossley's son, Savile in 1916.
A memorial to two airmen killed in a friendly fire incident during
In the 1950s, Christopher Cockerell designed and tested the first hovercraft at his boatyard in the village. A column was erected in the village in 2010 on the 100th anniversary of Cockerell's birth.[11][12][13]
In 1971 the civil parish had a population of 319.[14]
Somerleyton Hall
The Victorian rebuilding of
The park surrounding the hall was established in the 17th century and expanded during Peto's ownership to one of 140 hectares (350 acres). This included the building of a series of formal gardens designed by William Andrews Nesfield and includes a kitchen garden with glasshouses probably designed by Joseph Paxton.[7][16] The only other example of similar work by Paxton is at Chatsworth House.[17] The park features two sculptures by Thomas and one by Gustav Natorp as well as a yew hedge maze.[7][18]
The house is the home of the Crossley family and both the house and grounds are open to the public as a tourist attraction.[19] The estate owns a wide range of assets throughout the local area, including the Somerleyton village pub and a country park at Fritton Lake.[20]
Culture and community
Somerleyton has a primary school, built as part of the development of the model village,[21] a village hall and playing field as well as a public house, the Dukes Head.[22][23][24] The Somerleyton Estate remains a major landowner throughout the surrounding area. Many of the houses in the village are listed buildings and development is restricted to preserve the period style of the village.[2][24][25][26]
The
Church of St Mary
The parish church is dedicated to St Mary and stands in Somerleyton Park close to the hall. The building retains a 15th-century tower but was otherwise rebuilt at Peto's direction, the design again completed by Thomas. The rebuilding process discovered a medieval stone slab with the symbols of the Four Evangelists beneath the floor boards. It is presumed to have been hidden during the Reformation and has been replaced over the south doorway. The rood screen and baptismal font both date from the 15th century, the former with 16 panels with paintings of saints. The building is a Grade II* listed building.[27][28]
In literature and television
The BBC's Antiques Roadshow took place at Somerleyton Hall in 2009, with selected excerpts to form a one-hour broadcast in 2010.[29] An episode of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected TV series was filmed at Somerleyton Hall in 1979,[30] and the house was used as a stand in for Sandringham House in the 2003 television drama The Lost Prince.[31] The house was used for the same purpose in the 2020 series The Crown.[32]
The house and the maze, where the narrator becomes lost, feature prominently in W. G. Sebald's 1995 novel-memoir The Rings of Saturn.[33]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Somerleyton, Suffolk Heritage Explorer, Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b c Our area, ASH Villages, Somerleyton, Ashby and Herringfleet parish council. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ The Waveney (Parishes) Order 1987, Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ Somerleyton, Open Domesday. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Suckling AI (1848) 'Somerleyton', in The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk: Volume 2, pp. 43–58. Barsham: Suckling. (Available onlineat Google Books. Retrieved 16 March 2021.)
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Somerleyton Hall (1198046)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d Historic England. "Somerleyton Park (1000188)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. (subscription required)
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 9 March 2021. (subscription required)
- ISBN 978-1852601225
- ^ Hovercraft memorial underway, East Anglian Daily Times, 28 February 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Somerleyton column remembers genius, Great Yarmouth Mercury, 7 June 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 14 March 2021. (subscription required)
- A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ History, Somerleyton Hall. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ Walled Garden, Somerleyton Hall. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Kitchen Garden of Somerleyton Hall (1031936)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ Somerleyton Gardens, Somerleyton Hall. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- Visit England. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ Contact us, Somerleyton Hall. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "County Primary School (1284086)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ a b Somerleyton, Ashby and Herringfleet, Healthy Suffolk, 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Somerleyton, Suffolk Pubs, Suffolk Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ a b c Lound with Ashby, Herringfleet and Somerleyton Neighbourhood Plan, Lound Parish Council, 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- East Suffolk District Council, 2019, pp.155–159. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ Waveney District Council, 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1183419)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Knott S (2008) St Mary, Somerleyton, Suffolk Churches. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ BBC ONE’s Antiques Roadshow visits Somerleyton Hall, Somerleyton Estate. Archived 22 March 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ James D (2019) Unexpected victory: When Anglia’s Tales toppled BBC’s footie favourite, Eastern Daily Press, 25 January 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Suffolk stately home has starring role, East Anglian Daily Times, 18 January 2003. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ The Crown: Somerleyton Hall is transformed into Sandringham, BBC News, 26 November 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ Doyle RB (2011) Footsteps: Rambling With W. G. Sebald in East Anglia, The New York Times, 22 April 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
External links
Media related to Somerleyton at Wikimedia Commons