Sir John Soane built only eighteen complete country houses, mainly between the years of 1780-1800, so each house reveals something to us of how his distinctive style developed. Although he also re-modelled several other grand houses and went on to become the architect for the Bank of England, Letton Hall marks a relatively modest early season in Soane’s extraordinary career.

A large villa, rather than a vast stately home, Letton Hall was the family home of Brampton Gurdon Dillingham and his descendants. The house was designed in 1783 in Soane’s typical manner, involving lengthy discussions with the owner to establish the final plans. It was completed over the next few years once Soane had convinced Dillingham to demolish, rather than alter, the existing Old Hall which he had inherited that year.

Over the next 130 years, five generations of the Gurdon family lived at Letton Hall including Robert Thornagh Gurdon who inherited the estate in 1881. Soon after this, he commissioned the Norfolk Architect Edward Boardman for an extensive phase of building and development, including a remodelling of the gardens. Much of this work survives, notably the Clock Tower in the Stables and the Summerhouse at the heart of the remodelled garden. Visitors can still see the initials RTG on the weather vane of the Clock Tower and the wall of the Summerhouse.

Robert Thornagh Gurdon was a successful man in many areas of his life. He was appointed as the first Chairman of Norfolk County Council and created First Baron Cranworth in 1899. His son Bertram Francis Gurdon inherited the estate at the age of 25 and conducted further alterations including the extension of the library to create a billiard room! He lived with his family at Letton Hall for a little more than ten years before putting the property and estate up for auction and moving to his estates near Woodbridge, Suffolk, thus ending the ownership of the Gurdons.

In 1914 Mr Arthur Gordon, a 37 year old Scottish bachelor, purchased the Hall, although he was not there often until after the First World War. He too made improvements, mainly in the area of heating and water supply – a task we continue today – but also in the grounds and the running of the estate. Gordon married a 30 year old French woman, Marie Josephine Webber, in 1937 and they lived for a while at The Hall until the impact of the Second World War grew and The Hall was requisitioned by the army. The Gordons moved out to Red House, Southburgh and, when they no longer wished to return to Letton Hall, it was once more put up for sale.