Stradsett Hall

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An early 19th-century park and pleasure ground laid out by J C Loudon between 1810 and 1813.

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Stradsett Hall is located in west Norfolk, c 8km east of Downham Market on the north side of the A1122 Downham to Swaffham road. The c 100ha site is set in a flat agricultural landscape, in a rural part of the county made busy by the proximity of two main roads. The southern boundary is formed by the A1122, that to the west by the A134 King's Lynn to Thetford road, with agricultural land lying to the north and east. Gaps in the boundary plantations offer views into and out of the site.

ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES

The main approach to the Hall is via the south drive which leads from an early C19, single-storey, gault brick and slate Gothic-style lodge (listed grade II) on the A1122, to a drive which runs north through the park to the east front of the Hall. There is also a drive from the south-west corner of the park. These two routes follow closely the medieval approaches to Stradsett which Loudon retained when he reworked the landscape. At this time he also laid out a new main drive, no longer in use, which led off the A134 into the north-west corner of the park at the North Lodge, then ran south through the park, over a bridge across the west arm of the lake, up to the Hall.

PRINCIPAL BUILDING

Stradsett Hall (listed grade II) stands to the south of centre of the park and is of two storeys in eleven bays, built of brick with a slate and tile roof in an 'E' plan. The Elizabethan core of the house was given substantial Georgian detail in 1819, including a central two-storey porch flanked by Ionic pilaster strips to the east front, a square central portico porch with Tuscan columns to the north front, and sash windows throughout. A two-storey extension was also added to the east front during the early C19 works which were carried out for the Bagge family although the architect is unknown.

GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS

The Hall at Stradsett is today (1999) surrounded by gardens, the southern edge of which are marked by mid C18 ironwork railings and gates. A walk leads north-east off the gardens, though a cast-iron cattle grid and bridge over the ha-ha (1819, listed grade II), across the home park to a bridge over the outflow of the lake and so into Waterfall Plantation. This pleasure ground, dominated by yew, box, and laurel, is planted on the dam of the lake, bordering the east side of the water and marking the edge of the park. At its northern end it merges with Garden Plantation, an area of pleasure grounds also dominated by evergreens, which surrounds the kitchen garden. The c 9ha lake, irregular in shape and with several islands, lies north of the Hall in the centre of the site. It was formed by the damming of a brook which ran from west to east across the property. Four small bridges accompany the lake in addition to the main bridge which carried the north drive across its west arm. The banks of the lake are planted with box, holly, weeping willow, and a variety of shrubs. Between the west and north arms is a raised knoll, created from soil excavated during its construction. The knoll was intended to be the site for the proposed new house and the whole design focused on this spot. In the event the new house was not built and thus the pleasure grounds stand somewhat isolated and at a distance from the Hall.

The gardens and pleasure grounds were all created by Loudon between 1810 and 1813, the work being accurately documented in a series of journals kept by his foreman Alexander McLeish. Loudon greatly exceeded his estimate of cost for the work which came to over £7000 compared to the estimated £4000 and thus his association with the Bagge family was terminated in 1813 before his plans for the new house could be executed. By this time however the lake, kitchen garden, pleasure ground, and park were all largely complete.

PARK

Stradsett Park lies mainly to the north of the lake and pleasure grounds, with a smaller area to the south, partly in grass and partly arable. It contains a number of earthworks relating to the pre-park landscape, together with some pre-park hedge timber which was incorporated into the park landscape. Much original planting survives, mainly oaks with some lime, beech, ash, and horse chestnut, as well as some later C19 planting. When Loudon arrived at Stradsett the land intended for the park was still predominantly divided into a number of small fields interspersed with woods and pasture. His work included extensive earth moving and the laying of drainage systems which fed the lake, as well as the planting of clumps and individual trees. The park was not bounded by a continuous perimeter belt but rather by a number of separate but carefully positioned plantations, added to the existing woods. Detailed plant orders from a number of nurseries have survived (NRO).

KITCHEN GARDEN

The walled kitchen garden stands on the north side of the lake within Garden Plantation. Loudon was responsible for its detailed design and construction and for the planting of fruit trees. It survives in outline but is no longer in use (1999).

REFERENCES

J Phibbs, Stradsett Park, Norfolk: A survey of the landscape (1988) [copy on EH file]

M Greville, Stradsett: Creation of a picturesque landscape (MA dissertation, UEA 1989) [copy on EH file]

T Williamson, The archaeology of the landscape park, BAR British Series 268 (1998), pp 281-2

Maps

Estate map, 1791 (private collection)

Stradsett Park survey, 1816 (private collection)

Illustration

Series of paintings of the landscape by the Italian artist Algilio, 1811 (private collection)

Archival items

Journals of Alexander MacLeish, early 19th century (private collection)

Stradsett Papers (BLX (38)), (Norfolk Record Office)

Description written: December 1999

Edited: March 2001