Kentwell Hall Including Detached Building To The West, Brick Revetment Of Moat And 2 Bridges Over Moat

Kentwell Hall is a fine 16th-century red brick moated mansion, the historic seat of the Clopton family for approximately 300 years, dating back to at least 1308 and occupied until 1618. A 1563 will describes the house as newly built at that time. It is situated within an 130-acre park, terminated by a long lime avenue planted in 1678 by Sir Thomas Robinson. The house follows an E-shaped plan and was noted in the 19th century as a “very fair and rich house” with 12 wainscoted rooms and a park containing over 150 deer. The house is a significant example of a 16th-century manor house of considerable size, and it is externally surrounded by a moat with brick revetments, approached by brick bridges on the south and west sides.

The south-east front rises to three storeys with a parapet. A central, three-storeyed porch projects, gabled and featuring diagonal buttresses, flanked by three-storeyed gabled bays. Wings extend to the south-east, standing two storeys high with attics, exhibiting square bays facing an internal court and with prominent terminations at the south-east ends. Large, octagonal corner turrets with ogee domed roofs and weather vanes are located at the south-west and south-east corners of these wings. Mullioned and transomed latticed casements are present throughout. The bays on the south-east front feature large windows of 20 lights. The roofs are tiled, with two gabled dormers visible on the inner fronts of the south-east wings. All gables are topped with finials, and the chimney stacks have decorative blank arcading on their sides. A picturesque group of buildings is located at the south-west end, comprising a section with a jettied upper storey showcasing exposed timber framing. This section has a tiled roof with three gabled dormers. Some windows contain fine stained glass, some dating back to the 14th century, including one displaying coats of arms of the Clopton family.

The interior was remodelled by Hopper after a fire in 1822. Notable features include a large stone fireplace dating to circa 1730 in the dining room and a late 17th-century open well staircase, likely inserted later. A detached building to the west is likely a surviving portion of the original house, subsequently used as a barn or outbuildings. This building is constructed of red brick, incorporates a garderobe projecting over the moat, and exhibits cruciform arrow loops. The west front has a two-story section at the north end with exposed timber framing and brick nogging, the upper storey being jettied. The tiled roof features stopped gables at the north and south ends, and three gabled dormers facing west. The interior is largely open to the roof, revealing numerous blocked window openings and heavily smoke-blackened roof timbers. The moat is complete with brick revetments and brick arched bridges on the south and west sides.