Enclosing Wall And Gatehouse To Waxham Hall

The enclosing wall and gatehouse to Waxham Hall date from around 1570 and are constructed from flint with ashlar dressings. The wall surrounds the Hall complex on the north, east, and south sides and features a flint wall topped with brick coping tiles. At the corners, there are octagonal ashlar piers with turrets that rise to crested finials.

The gatehouse is located at the centre of the north-east return and has polygonal piers that frame a 4-centred arch, which is moulded and set within a square surround with hoods on labels. The spandrels of the arch are intricately carved with encircled quatrefoils and cusped mouchettes, while a string course runs below a plain parapet. The polygonal piers are topped with ball finials, although the finial on the south side is missing.

Inside the gatehouse, the arch is similar, but the spandrels feature coats of arms. A subsidiary wall extends from the interior to the south-east corner of the house, enclosing a garden. Another similar subsidiary wall runs from the north-west corner of the house to the north return of the main wall and includes a doorway leading into the garden. This doorway is designed as a rectangular pedestrian opening beneath a concave pediment, with a raised relief in the centre that displays heraldic devices and swags. The jambs of the doorway are adorned with carved heads set within an oval broken surround, and at the base of the jambs, there are carved grotesque heads on pedestals.