Wolterton Hall, Norfolk
Facts and accounts of Norfolk’s forgotten power house. Erstwhile home of the late Lord Robert “Robin” Walpole; the amiable ponytailed descendent of Britain’s first prime minister. Estate buildings, and the east wing, are now B&Bs.
The estate was put up for sale in May 2023, and is currently on the market for £25million. For more, scroll to facts and figures.
Contents
Overview
Wolterton Hall is one of the four grand power houses of Norfolk, but few in the county could easily place it.
It’s out of site, and out of mind. Yet absurdly close (less than 6 miles) to Blickling – the striking and imaginative NT-owned Jacobean mansion that welcomes around 200,000 visitors per season.
In our times it’s rare for an old landed family to hold two traditional, historic properties. The late Lord Walpole managed this until selling Wolterton to Peter Sheppard and Keith Day in 2016 (leaving the Walpoles with moated mediaeval Mannington Hall 2.5 miles away).
Wolterton was built from scratch in the first half of the eighteenth century for Horatio Walpole, brother of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole. Horatio was godfather to a more famous namesake: Horatio, Lord Nelson.
While Wolterton survived in Walpole hands well into the 21st century, the signs of an unsustainable estate were there for years before its eventual 2016 sale. Several hundred acres of land were sold in 1999 and 500 further went up for sale in 2015 (a year before the sale of the house and parkland).
Robert, the late Lord Walpole, was very distantly related to the founding Walpole, Lord Horatio. But it’s complicated. When asked what his relationship was to the hall’s original patron, he was quoted saying “no idea!”
As well as holding two historic properties in his lifetime, the late Lord Walpole also quirkily held two historic titles. His own father inherited two titles and became both the 7th Baron Walpole of Wolterton and 9th Baron Walpole of Walpole, making him the 8th /10th Baron (8th of Wolterton, 10th of Walpole).
Since Robert’s death in 2021, his son Jonathon became the 9th and 11th Lord Walpole.
Facts and figures
Owners
Who were Wolterton Hall’s historic owners?
Historic owners were the Walpoles. The builder was Lord Horatio Walpole first Baron Walpole of Walpole. Lord Horatio was brother to the more eminent Sir Robert Walpole, and Godfather to Lord Nelson (who was named after him).
Who owns Wolterton Hall now?
The current owners are Peter Sheppard and Keith Day (since 2016). But anyone can stay in the East Wing, which is let as premium holiday accommodation.
As of May 2023, Wolterton Hall is for sale on the open market for £25million.
Peter and Keith having spent £7million restoring it since 2016, and covering the £100,000 per year running costs with the holiday let rental incomes.
When built
1742
Architectural style
Georgian/Palladian
Architects
- Thomas Ripley (original, c.1742)
- George Stanley Repton (alterations, c.1827)
Parkland
The hall is set in a park of 150 acres, which predates the building itself, though distinct alterations took place around 1732-1742 when the hall was being built, again from c.1829 according to designs of William Sawrey Gilpin, and thirdly in the mid-20th century when some land was ploughed up and grassed over.
There are still signs of striking old features in the park and grounds; including lake and tree-lined drives.
Estate size
Historic estate size (1883)
12,341 acres/4,994 hectares
Present day estate size
500 acres/202 hectares.
In 1883, Lord Horatio Walpole (at that time 4th Earl of Orford) presided over a 12,341 acre/4,994 hectare estate. But, this estate comprised the lands of both Wolterton Hall and nearby Mannington. The two properties were decoupled in 2016 when Wolterton was sold to Peter Sheppard and Keith Day, and now the estate relies on income from holiday lets and events to supplement any revenue from its 500 acres.
Interior
Number of rooms
There are in excess of 42 principal rooms in Wolterton Hall. The highlight of which is arguably the floating staircase, a central feature bathed in light from a roof dome.
Paintings
Fortunately, when the hall was acquired in 2016, original Walpole paintings, tapestries and artefacts were left in place and in context.
What is Wolterton Hall known for?
What was Wolterton Hall known for?
It was known for being home to the Walpoles for 350 years, inc the 8th & 10th Baron Walpole. The Walpoles are one of few old families to own two of their traditional country houses well into the 21st Century.
It was also known for the large and rare 3.7 acre shell of the original kitchen garden.
What is Wolterton Hall known for now?
It’s famous for its beautiful East Wing holiday lets – as well as other Airbnbs in the park, such as the East Lodge (now The Steward’s House and The Treasury).
This holiday accommodation gives exclusive privileges for exploration inside the park and gardens, and are integral to making the estate pay.
Little discoveries:
Little discoveries: the kitchen garden, the matching stable block, and the east and north lodges.
The 3.7acre/1.5 hectare walled kitchen garden is the largest early 1700’s example in Norfolk. It holds a gardener’s cottage, an old cucumber house, a peach house conservatory, and the remains of an older set of walls and former orchard. The original surveyor’s map of 1732 suggests the gardens were actually part of the formal landscape – a drive round the park and lake would finish at the walled garden before re-entering the hall.
A beautiful stable block matches the hall’s red brick & some stone dressing facade. It’s a picture in and of itself, boasting arches, neat attic windows and a proud, sophisticated-yet simple eight-sided clock tower. According to Country Life, this was also a design of Thomas Ripley built c.1750.
The East Lodge was added later, and is of a strongly neoclassical and more austere red-brick style. It’s made of a central arch with attic above and main accommodation on either side (available via Airbnb as ‘The Treasury’ and ‘The Steward’s House’).
The pretty square-shaped North Lodge was added later still in c.1914. It’s almost the main house in miniature, but with some Queen Anne revival details.
The remarkable lake at Wolterton Hall stands at 10 acres/4 hectares.
Visiting Wolterton Hall
Is Wolterton Hall open to the public?
Wolterton is not routinely open to the public, but private tours of 2-2.5hrs are available via Invitation to View at a cost of approx. £35pp (inc Champagne and canapes in the saloon).
Would-be visitors are advised to hurry as the whole property was listed for sale on the open market in May 2023, and there will be no obligation for future owners to maintain public access.
Search ‘Invitation to view’ for more information on visiting. There are other ways to catch glimpses too…
Visiting for free
Exclusive free of charge access inside the park and gardens is reserved for residents of the hall’s beautiful holiday lets.
However, you can circle the estate for free and catch some quaint views. Follow our Wolterton park walk via public access footpaths that hug the perimeter of the grounds. More below.
Nearby walks
Soak up the historic and private park from the perimeter with two walks. Both these Wolterton Hall walks start and end at the Saracen’s Head pub and inn, and use a mixture of public footpaths and quiet minor roads.
Route maps are embedded below – just tap for more.
Tap to open
Wolterton Park walk (7km/4.3 miles)
The basic walk that circles Wolterton Park runs to approximately 7km (4.3 miles), and should take about 1.5 hours to complete.
It hugs the park boundary on the east and south side before swinging wide at the west to Itteringham village, then northwards as far as the charming Park Farm (now sensitively converted into houses). It closes by heading east along Wall Road; Wolterton Park’s north boundary.
For map access, tap the link in the image above.
Wolterton Hall and Mannington Hall walk (11km/6.8 miles)
A longer, and possibly more satisfying walk of roughly 11km (6.8 miles) runs to about 2hrs 15 minutes and is well worth it for those with the time.
For the extra steps, walkers catch a glimpse of not one historic house, but two.
This route follows the first as the first as far as Itteringham village, but instead of heading north along Wolterton Hall’s western side, it continues north west and all the way around ancient Mannington Hall – the second historic Walpole property and enduring 21st century home of Lord Jonathan Walpole (11th Baron Walpole).
While it’s possible to continue on to Holt from here, it’s best to head sharply east after Lady’s Wood and along Mannington Hall’s north boundary. The footpath dissects Mannington to the right, and Hall Farm immediately left. The path becomes a single track road, which is followed until a T-junction, before heading left/north as far as Park Farm, then right/east along Wall road, past Wolterton Hall’s pretty North Lodge (the mansion itself in miniature), and on to the Saracen’s head to finish.
Picnic spot
Arguably the best view of Wolterton is to the south, from the bottom of the lake. Here, the view is much the same as it would have been in the 18th century, and it’s identical to the time of the hall’s 19th century alterations.
There’s no sign of pylons, poles, tarmac or any modern building whatsoever. From here the old house looks as stern, steady and proud as the day it was completed.
Parking
Unless visiting for an event, the best car park for walking the perimeter of Wolterton is at the Saracens Head (free, no charges).
Pubs nearby
Pubs near Wolterton Hall include The Saracens Head (<1km/0.5 miles away) and The Walpole Arms, Itteringham (4km/2.5 miles away).
The Saracens Head is itself an elegant-looking, ivy-clad building of c.1830. Named after the saracen’s head in the Walpole coat of arms, it was built specifically for visitors to Wolterton Hall according to Norfolk Heritage Explorer (though estate workers seem a more likely audience).
This pub’s status as a hidden inn without a village makes it particularly enticing.
A short distance away from Wolterton, the Walpole Arms in Itteringham is a more rustic-looking alternative to the Saracens Head. The traditional menu is supplemented with tapas options thanks to the Spanish management team.
Nearest tea room/cafe
Award-winning Itteringham village shop is just 2.5 miles away, and also boasts a small cafe, deli, gallery and more.
Places to visit near Wolterton
If glimpses of Palladian red brick Wolterton and medieval Mannington Hall (see ‘nearby walks’ don’t satisfy a fix for historic buildings, there’s more nearby. Blickling Hall, the National Trust’s proud and stately Jacobean marvel, is 9km/5.6 miles away (15 minutes by car).
Sources
Websites
- Historic England: Wolterton Hall
- woltertonpark.co.uk
- The Telegraph: Lord Robert “Robin” Walpole’s obituary.
Physical sources
- Debrett’s peerage and baronetage
- England’s thousand best houses, Simon Jenkins
- The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland, John Bateman
- The archaeology of the landscape park, Tom Williamson
- The Sunday Times (28th May, 2023)
- Country Life magazine (18th July, 1957).
This piece was written after two memorable encounters with the late 8th and 10th Lord Walpole.
Lost footpath explorer & country house-snooping cretin. Declining triathlete. Eternal hobbyist.