Hawstead, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29

An outstanding, fully renovated and extended Victorian country house, with gardens and grounds of around 2.2 acres, occupying an exceptional countryside setting, close to Bury St Edmunds.

Reception hallway, drawing room, sitting room, garden hall/reading room, kitchen/dining room, study, utility, boot room and cloakroom. Cellar rooms. First floor principal bedroom with en-suite & dressing room, guest bedroom with en-suite & dressing room, two further bedrooms and a dressing room and a family bathroom.

Long gated driveway, parking, yard, outbuilding barns/garaging/stables & games room party barn/workshop, double cartlodge garaging, east & west terraces and gardens & grounds.

In all about 2.19 acres (sts).

THE PROPERTY
Understood to date from 1840, Hawstead Hall is stylish and elegant, detached country house with colour washed rendered elevations under a series of slate tiled roofs. The house is originally thought to have been built by William Biddell who was the MP for West Suffolk from 1880 to 1886. The house has been very tastefully and stylishly improved and re-modelled by the current owners, and whilst it retains a wealth of characterful period features such as attractive fireplaces, high ceilings, and many of the sash windows still affording their original shutters, there is the modern luxury of updated wiring with ceiling speakers, cleverly designed sliding pocket doors, a modern ‘Complete Control’ Aga range set into the sleek, modern kitchen that boasts granite worksurfaces, a separate induction hob, electric ovens, Fisher & Paykel fridge freezer and breakfast bar. Further to this there is quality oak and limestone flooring to most of the house.

The accommodation on the ground floor features a spacious reception hall, leading to the gracious drawing room and the sitting room, study, garden hall/reading room and the fabulous open plan kitchen dining room, that is an outstanding space to entertain from with French doors also opening to the evening terrace, and with a well fitted boot room/rear hall, utility room, and cloakroom the accommodation works superbly in this excellent semi-rural setting. The two roomed traditional cellar benefits from having a sump pump and is accessed from the main hall.

On the first floor a central galleried landing leads to four bedrooms, and a ‘Jack & Jill’ connected family bathroom, with separate shower, connecting to the dressing room for Bedroom 3. Both the master and the guest bedrooms benefit from stylishly fitted ensuite bathrooms, with underfloor heating and dressing/study rooms, with the fourth bedroom also being a very comfortable ‘double’ sized room with fitted wardrobe cupboards and good view to the south over the paddock.

HISTORICAL NOTE
In 1944 the British Army arrived at Hawstead Hall and took possession of some fields and the whole of a wood known as ‘The Cranks’, they also demanded the use of three back rooms of the house, at that time, the kitchen, laundry room and utility. Army cooks took over the kitchens and provided the then incumbents ‘The Coulson Family’ with all their meals. The property was surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by armed sentries. In late May of 1944 the Army officer in charge announced that they were leaving, he thanked the Coulson’s and gave them a claim form to record any damage by the Army. A few hours later there was a great revving of engines and a column of tanks and Bren gun carriers came charging out of the woods, through the yard and down the lane to Sicklesmere. They headed on to Ipswich destined for the D-Day landing beaches of Normandy. This was not the only wartime incident and earlier in the 1940’s a German Luftwaffe bomber flew over the house with an engine on fire, exploding and disintegrating into the hillside opposite the house. The blast of the explosion was said to have thrown Mr Coulson onto his back.

OUTSIDE
Hawstead Hall occupies a wonderful, elevated setting with a south facing main façade and the sweeping tarmac and gravel drive that leads up to the west of the house, to the outbuildings, garaging and parking. The main garden features a croquet lawn to the east of the house and gently sloping lawns, with terraces to the east and west, ideal for alfresco dining and entertaining.

The main paddock lies south of the property and features a fine specimen Copper Beech tree and is enclosed by Beech hedging, post and rail fencing and has a water supply; the foot of the paddock adjoins the River Lark. There is a further small holding paddock area (currently unfenced), adjoining the outbuildings and yard. The gardens to the rear feature a productive vegetable bed, trained blackberry bush stand and further lawn/ possible additional holding paddock area, next to a green house and the composing and storage clamps. There is a fine selection of specimen trees, such as the mature Cedar, the Horse Chestnut crescent up the drive, Yew, Sweet Chestnut and Lime.
The excellent and very versatile range of outbuildings (that subject to relevant consents could in part be improved and converted to create further accommodation), lie to the west of the house and comprise a double carport, a large barn traditionally spilt into three redundant stables/stores and tack room. Beyond this is a ‘American Barn’ with a run of four stables and covered yard, with steps up to the ‘Games Room/Workshop’ barn. Further to the west and adjoining the stables is a further covered barn/garaging store. The main driveway sweeps around up the hill and we understand that there is a permanent right of way for the owner of Hawstead Hall across the drive leading back down to the road, to the side of Bull Hill Cottage.

LOCATION
The house occupies an elevated setting on the edge of the village of Hawstead and is conveniently placed for access to Bury St Edmunds, being approximately 3 miles south of the town lying between the villages of Nowton and Hawstead. For comprehensive facilities the nearby sought-after historic market town of Bury St Edmunds offers an excellent range of amenities, with schooling in the private and public sectors, extensive independent and national chain shopping facilities and a good range of leisure facilities including health clubs, swimming pools and golf clubs. The University City of Cambridge is approximately 29 miles away via the A14. There is good access to the A14 (leading to the A11 (M11)) and the railway station at Bury St Edmunds offers the links to mainline services to London’s Liverpool Street and Kings Cross. (Only about 25-minute drive to Stowmarket station – direct line to London Liverpool Street in about 80 minutes)

Schooling: There are excellent local schools in both the public and private sector including Old Buckenham Hall, Finborough, Culford, Ipswich School, Framlingham College and St Joseph’s College.

DIRECTIONS
Travelling from Bury St Edmunds, head south along Nowton Road past South Lee School, passing through the village of Nowton heading towards Hawstead. Proceed for approximately 1½ miles and as you drive down Bull Hill, Hawstead Hall can be found on your right-hand side, up a sweeping tree lined gated drive, that opens opposite the left ‘country track’ turning to Sicklesmere, and just before the S-bend and the bridge over the River Lark.

PROPERTY INFORMATION
Services Mains water and electricity. Private drainage – understood to be compliant and in maintained working order, but as the system is dated it could benefit from a modern upgrade. Oil fired central heating.
Local Authority West Suffolk District Council
Council Tax Band G
Tenure Freehold
Broadband Ofcom states speeds available of up to 1800Mbps
Mobile Signal/Coverage Yes - depending on network provider. Please visit to check availability
Viewing Only by appointment with Jackson-Stops Tel:

Agents Note: There is a covenant on the
property for it to remain as a residential
dwelling for a single family.