Kentwell Hall and Gardens

You will feel privileged to have a glimpse onto the past and present of this unique family home; especially if you visit when we step back in time during one of our award-winning Re-Creations of everyday Tudor domestic life.

Kentwell Hall is one of England's finest moated Tudor houses, described by Country Life as "The epitome of many people's image of an Elizabethan house".

Built and enhanced by successive members of the Clopton family in the first half of the 16th Century on riches accrued from the wool trade (John Clopton also had the magnificent Long Melford parish church built), the exterior of the buildings has remained mainly unchanged since.

Kentwell is not a stately home stuffed with museum pieces - this is a lived-in house full of interest and vitality, which exudes a strong sense of history. It has been the cherished home of Patrick and Judith Phillips since 1971, and progress of their continuing restoration has interested visitors for 25 years.

Stroll through the house with its working Elizabethan kitchen and magnificent hall with a minstrel's gallery. Puzzle over the exquisite Tudor Rose maze in the courtyard. Admire the part-timbered Moat House with its dairy, bakery and brew-house. Explore the old farm buildings and meet the animals - many of them rare breeds.

Wander in the enchanting gardens, around the carp-filled moat and through the woodland walks. Treat yourself to a tasty home-made delicacy in the Undercroft Tea-Room and to an intriguing Tudor-style gift in the Gatehouse shop.