More information : (TF 63802003) Gaywood Hall (NAT) on site of (NAT)
Bishop's Palace (NR). (1)
"In the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189), the Bishop of Norwich held Gaywood and Lynn in capite, and would not suffer the King's bailiffs or coroners to enter the lordship, where he had officers
of his own, a gallows, assize of bread and beer, and other royalties. Bishop Grey built a palace on the site which is now occupied by Gaywood Hall. Some re-used material may be seen". (2)
House, built in 1851 on the site of the medieval bishop's palace. The building has been used for various purposes since the 1930s and was extended in 1985. In 1385, Henry, Bishop of Norwich was granted a licence to crenellate his house at Gaywood. (3-4)
According to this source, the licence to crenellate the manor was granted in 1387. (5)
HISTORY AND DETAILS
The present Gaywood Hall is the last in a succession of large houses on the site, which was formerly moated, and on which a house has been present since medieval or pre-medieval times. The present house is likely to date from 1851 when it was either rebuilt or substantially remodelled. The work was carried out by the Bennetts, an important local firm of building contractors, who were probably also responsible for its design. The house underwent further alterations in the late C19, including the addition of a wing to the right of the main block, and again in the C20 for its use as a College of Further Education and then as a private house. The open belvedere on the tower has been removed, as has the conservatory on the garden front. A pitched roof on the left section of the house has been removed, and an extra, blind, bay has been added on the left side. Internally, there have been considerable alterations, including the loss of many fittings, such as cornices and pictures, as well as nearly all the fireplaces.
The house is faced in knapped flint with stone and brick dressings. It has a long frontage of three sections, the central one of two stories and five bays with a porticoed entrance flanked by Venetian-style windows, under a low-pitched roof behind a parapet. The slightly recessed, three-bay section to the right is similar. To the left is a square, Italianate tower, followed by a four-bay section of two stories and an attic, under a flat roof. The regular fenestration consists of multi-paned sash windows. The garden front is similar, except it has a canted bay window in the main section.
The building is not recommended for designation for the following principal reasons:
*Architectural interest: the house does not have a careful overall design concept compared with other small country houses of the period, possibly as a result of its being remodelled. It does not demonstrate the requisite level of architectural quality to meet the criteria, which are very selective for buildings of this type and date;
*Alterations: it has undergone a series of alterations that have compromised its architectural integrity and diminished its interior decoration. It does not have the degree of intactness necessary for a mid C19 house to merit inclusion on the statutory List.
CONCLUSION
Whilst Gaywood Hall is certainly of local interest, it does not meet the criteria for listing in a national context. (6) |