Giffords Hall

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are major building remains

NameGiffords Hall
Alternative NamesGiffard's Hall
Historic CountrySuffolk
Modern AuthoritySuffolk
1974 AuthoritySuffolk
Civil ParishStoke-by-Nayland

The present house, which was built by the Mannock family who held the manor from 1428, is mainly of the early C16 but incorporates the remains of an earlier building. There were some alterations and additions in the early C18 and late C19. The timber-framed house is built around a quadrangular courtyard with a 2 storeyed red brick gatehouse on the south side and a great hall on the north. The outer (south) front of the gatehouse has angle turrets, stepped battlements and brick pinnacles. The windows have 4-centred heads to the lights and there is a 4-centred arch with blank tracery in the spandrels and a frieze with cusped tracery above. The front to the courtyard has 3 stepped gables. The interior of the great hall has a fine example of a double-hammerbeam roof with carved arched braces and spandrels, and a late C17 minstrels gallery with twisted balusters. (Listed Building Report)

Gatehouse Comments

Not usually described as fortified, although Goodall calls its architectural style 'castlelike' and does seem to have been called 'semi-fortified' in Country Life. However, clearly a fine quality house of a sort similar to many other 'fortified houses' particularly a number of houses granted licences to crenellate, although does not appear to have been moated. Had a small attached deer park.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTM018374
Latitude51.9985313415527
Longitude0.938229978084564
Eastings601808
Northings237432
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 398-9
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 3 Southern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 102-6
  • Sandon, Eric, 1977, Suffolk Houses p. 46, 202-6
  • Pevsner, N., 1961, Buildings of England: Suffolk (London, Penguin) p. 207
  • Tipping, H.A., 1924, English Homes, period 2 Vol. 1 (London) p. 31-50
  • Copinger, W.A., 1905, Manors of Suffolk Vol. 1 p. 221-4 (tenurial history) online copy

Journals

  • 2001, Country Life Vol. 195 p. 100
  • Spittle, D., 1965, 'Giffords Hall, Stoke by Nayland' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 30.2 p. 183-7 online copy
  • Girling, F.A., 1928, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 34 p. 110-16
  • Tipping, H.A., 1923 Oct, Country Life
  • 1903 Oct, Country Life
  • Torlesse, C.M., 1870, 'Stoke-by-Nayland Church' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 4.4 p. 198 online copy

Other

  • Williamson, Dr T., Survey of Historic Parks and Gardens in Suffolk