Oxburgh Hall is an magnificent moated house with a great Tudor gatehouse, built in 1482 for the Bedingfeld family.
The original outline of the house remains although there has been some alterations and restoration over the centuries.
The Great Tower is completely unchanged and rises impressively to 80 feet above the moat.
On the first floor of the tower is the King's Chamber where Henry VII stayed on a visit to Oxburgh in 1487. This room displays panels of needlework embroidered by Mary, Queen of Scots during her captivity. These were brought to the house in 1793 by the daughter of Viscount Montague of Cowdray, who married a Bedingfeld. There is also work by Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury.
The house has superb 17th century wall-coverings of embossed and painted Spanish leather on the stairs and corridor. Portraits of the Bedingfeld family are found throughout the house.
Oxburgh Hall has had moments of danger.
After the Civil War the house was ransacked by the Parliamentarians and set on fire.
In this century the Bedingfeld family suffered financial difficulties and in 1951 it house was sold to a development company.
After three months this company put the house up for auction. The only prospective buyer was a demolition firm but at the last moment Lady Bedingfeld raised sufficient funds to make a successful bid and bought back the house.
Lady Bedingfeld gave Oxburgh Hall to the National Trust in 1952 but the Bedingfeld family who have been at the house for over 500 years still live in the building.
The house has a French parterre in the garden and there are splendid woodland walks.
2008: House: 15 Mar-30 Jul & 1 Sep-1 Oct: 13:00-17:00 Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun ; 31 Jul-31 Aug:13:00-17:00 Mon-Sun; 4 Oct-2 Nov: 13:00-16:00 Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun. Gardens open at 11:00. All open BH Mon and Good Fri: 11:00-17:00. Last entry 30mins before close.
Tel: 01366 328258 Oxburgh Hall Website
