History of Swafield Hall
The History of Swafield Hall can be traced back to 1466 when it was mentioned in the will of William Burgey, who was lord of Swafield Hall at that time. The existing house was built in the late 16th century. Swafield Hall was altered in the 17th and 19th centuries and as the result the house received two facades in different styles: a Tudor North facade with traditional Norfolk red brick and flint walls and a lime washed Georgian South elevation, with French windows on the ground floor and a black glazed pantiles roof. Local legend reports that Admiral Nelson stayed in Swafield Hall, and some believe that the house is inhabited by a friendly ghost. Read more
In cold, rainy November 2014 the happy new owners moved to Swafield Hall, where the boiler was broken, the roof was leaking and the water supply was disconnected…and maintenance work started. After obtaining all the planning permissions, the renovation works began in May 2015. It was a long, complex, but very exciting process. The urgent tasks were to repair the dilapidated chimneys and the leaky roof. But the first change at Swafield Hall estate was the Apollo Belvedere marble statue for the beech promenade (Apollo Promenade now). It’s interesting to compare some photos of the hall before and after the renovation. Read more
The Garden Cottage was built in the late 16th century, at the same time as Swafield Hall. As was common at the time, the cottage was built without proper foundations, directly on the sandy ground. Unfortunately, over time, the old Grade II Garden Cottage had leaned heavily towards the road and became unsafe for pedestrians and passing vehicles. Deep cracks began to separate the walls of the cottage at its corners. The building became so dangerous that in 2018 the current owners were told by a conservation officer that the old cottage must be dismantled completely, and a new cottage has to be built “like for like”… Read more
Tim Payne, former Vice-President of Marketing (Europe, Middle East & Africa) at Oracle Corp, the American multinational computer technology corporation, was born in England in 1962, and from 1994 to 1998 lived & worked in San Francisco for Oracle Corp before he transferred back to London.
Boris Konoshenko, Previously Editor in Chief and Managing Director of the highest readership daily newspaper in Moscow (Russia), was born in St-Petersburg. During Perestroika, he entered the newly emerging independent media business. Since 2005, Boris worked for the world’s largest global newspaper group Metro International. Read more
