South Elmham Hall
In the beautiful valley folds of Suffolk's St Cross South Elmham
near the River Waveney & market town of Harleston,
the ancient remains of an episcopal estate date back to the 7th century.
South Elmham Hall, a medieval bishops' palace &
home to Suffolk’s earliest domestic wall-paintings,
sits within an idyllic four-acre moated site.
Across the meadows of the ancient deer park lie
the enigmatic ruins of an 11th century chapel, South Elmham Minster.
Medieval Bateman’s Barn at South Elmham Hall
is somewhere to celebrate at the heart of this
curious & very special treasured island.
South Elmham Hall also offers a handful of
simple, elegant bedrooms for wedding guests.
South Elmham Hall opens its doors regularly
for house tours & guided walks to the Minster.
Exclusive Hall & Minster Tours with refreshments in Bateman's Barn
House tours for groups & individuals also available.
Everything here belongs together.
“There are few places
in Suffolk
where you can feel history
in the landscape,
or the landowner’s love of it ,
more than at
South Elmham Hall.“
EADT Suffolk Magazine Jan 2017
“ South Elmham's island
is a beautiful & timeless place,
where the genuine,
caring & sharing attitude
of the present
means that the past
really does have a future.“
Invitation to View visitor 2015
Three generations of the Sanderson family have lived & farmed sustainably here around Grade I listed South Elmham Hall.
We love the gentleness of these time-honoured landscapes.
We feel privileged to be able to nurture their precious wildlife & are endlessly discovering the history of this ancient episcopal estate.
This curious moated palace site hosted an entire community in the 14th & 15th centuries. It saw bishops, kings & courtiers come & go.
We care for it dearly & understand the role that sharing it & educating gently have to play in giving it a sustainable future.
In restoring our medieval barn, converting it sensitively into a characterful Suffolk wedding barn venue, we are able not only to keep beautiful time-honoured buildings in use, but put income into our conservation projects. Our B&B rooms for wedding guests & our popular house tours also make a valuable contribution. All of these have helped to revive the long-standing tradition of hospitality here. South Elmham Hall with its ancient hunting grounds
has been an entertaining sort of place for centuries!
John & Nicole