Wingfield College is a remnant of the college founded by Sir John de Wingfield in 1362.
Sir John fought at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and made a fortune from ransom money.
When he died in 1361 he left the manor house at Wingfield to be established as a college.
A quadrangle to timber-framed buildings was added to the Hall of the manor house.
The college had a Master and nine Secular Chaplains and three choral scholarships for boys. These were required to live at the college, pray for Sir John, the Black Prince and Edward III, run a boarding school and minister to the parish.
Sir John's daughter and heiress married Michael de la Pole, later 1st Earl of Suffolk.
During the Wars of the Roses the de la Pole family suffered badly and the 5th and last Earl was beheaded by Henry VIII. In 1542 the college was dissolved and given to the Bishops of Norwich.
The College was then leased to a series of tenants and a large part of the building was demolished.
The remaining wings were remodelled in provincial Palladian style in the later 18th century by Squire Buck. The Georgian appearance concealed the 14th century building and its medieval origin was largely forgotten.
It was not until Ian Chance bought Wingfield College in 1971 that careful restoration revealed the 14th century structure.
The Great Hall in the west range of the quadrangle is all that remains of the original College.
The long and low facade to the road is covered in white-painted rendering. At the centre are five bays under a broad pediment and there are further bays on either side. Some of the windows are Venetian and many are dummies.
The Entrance Hall is a narrow passageway with Georgian joinery.
The Library to the left is decorated in Regency style and hung with prints by Piransei and Norwich School artists. The Green Panelled Room to the right has mid-Georgian panelling. The corridor running behind the west range is the original 14th century cloister.
In the Press Room the original timber-framing can be seen. The Old Kitchen, which now serving refreshments, leads to the Hall dating from around 1300. This was restored by Mr Chance in the 1970s.
The roof has a vast queen-post truss with a cambered tie-beam. The large chambers on the upper floor of the west range were originally open to the roof but in the 16th century these were sub-divided and ceilings inserted.
Since 1981 Wingfield College has run a regular series of concerts, recitals and lectures.
There are also exhibitions including ceramics, textiles and contemporary art. A creative arts visitor centre has been opened.
Wingfield College has 4 acres of delightful gardens.
Features include ponds, old roses, garden sculpture and a children's play garden. A Topiary Garden has been planted in the area of the College quadrangle by Mr Chance. He has also laid out gardens around the remaining Fish Pond.
To the north of the College is the great 14th century church. Here visitors can see tomb-monuments of Sir John de Wingfield and the de la Pole family.
2008: Booked Guided tour only on open days Sat 7th Jun, Thur 10th Jul and Sat 13th Sept, all at 14:00
Tel: 01379 384888 Wingfield College Website
