Costessey Hall facts for kids

Costessey Hall (pronounced Cossey Hall) was a grand old house located in Costessey, a village in Norfolk, England. It was about four miles west of the city of Norwich. The first time this place was mentioned in history was way back in 1066. That's when William I, also known as William the Conqueror, gave the land to one of his trusted friends, Alan Rufus. Back then, it was simply called Costessey Manor.

A Royal Gift and New Buildings

In 1555, Mary I, who was the Queen of England, gave Costessey Hall to Sir Henry Jerningham. She did this because he had supported her claim to the throne. At that time, Costessey Hall was a very large estate. It included 22 smaller estates in Norfolk, plus others in Hereford and Gloucestershire.

Sir Henry Jerningham decided to build a brand new manor house. This new house was built on the south side of the River Tud, which flows through Costessey. The original manor house stayed on the north side of the river. It is still standing today in Costessey Park. It's even thought that Henry VIII might have given the original house to Anne of Cleves at one point.

Later, from 1826 to 1836, a famous builder named J. C. Buckler worked on Costessey Hall. He built a huge Gothic-style castle for Lord Stafford Jerningham. This new castle was much, much bigger than the original Tudor hall.

The Hall's Demolition

In 1913, all the items inside the house were sold off. This left the grand hall completely empty. When World War I began, the army took over the hall for their use.

After the war, in 1919, a decision was made to tear down the hall. The actual demolition of Costessey Hall happened in 1925. Today, almost nothing is left of the huge building. Only a small part, called the belfry block, remains. You can find it near the 18th fairway of the Costessey Park Golf Course.

Images for kids

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  Costessey Hall around 1850, showing its grand size.

Further information

• See Costessey