Rougham Hall, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. 31st October 2010.

[mrsdaws]

Rougham Hall

Rougham hall is a derelict manor house buried deep within a Suffolk woodland, almost impossible to locate from the road. The hall boasts interesting features such as a clock tower and turrets. Located just off the A14, across the road from Rougham air base, the main access route is through a locked gate signed 'Rougham hall estate'

Getting to the house took a 20 minute gentle walk through woodland, with various WW2 structures along the way. There was little presence within the woods, however, the estate obviously runs a shoot; there were noisy pheasants everywhere. Luckily we visited on a Sunday but felt that maybe on another day we might have encountered either a shoot or the Gamekeeper.


History

Rougham Hall was built and owned by the Bennet family from 1596 - 1889. The last inhabitants were the Agnew family, until the house was bombed during WW2 by a 2000lb bomb and suffered extensive damage; the family still own the estate and its neighbouring airfield.
Although Rougham Hall itself is apparently untouched since the day of its demise, the nearby stable block appears to be converted into housing (and possibly currently resided in by the gamekeeper?) This meant that a stealthy approach was necessary. The location of the clock tower also meant that it would be difficult to explore without being seen.

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Here is an image of the Hall in it's heyday, possibly a matter of months before it was destroyed.

This was a fascinating site to explore; due to its hidden location there was little sign of vandalism or disturbance. Although difficult to locate, the access was easy and made for an enjoyable and relaxed explore. The only warning would be to watch out for the noisy pheasants that may blow ones cover when approaching the house itself!

R


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