The lure of Oxburgh Hall
The tower gate is a feature in the wall surrounding the grounds just below the formal gardens.
MICHELE DEWERTH / S&S
By MICHELE DEWERTH | STRIPES TRAVEL READER Published: March 13, 2003
The awe-inspiring first glimpse of Oxburgh Hall as you walk through the archway is enough to take your breath away.
It is in Oxborough near Swaffham, less than a 45-minute drive away from RAF Mildenhall and Lakenheath, which makes this an easy afternoon visit that you and your family won’t soon forget.
Sir Edmund Bedingfeld built Oxburgh Hall in the late 1400s, and Bedingfeld’s descendents still reside there today.
The family history of the Bedingfelds is as interesting as the house is majestic.
Another Sir Edmund, who would inherit Oxburgh Hall in 1540, was Catherine of Aragon’s steward after Henry VIII left her to take another wife. In 1554 Sir Edmund’s son, Henry, was then to imprison Elizabeth (who would become queen just four years later) by order of Queen Mary.
The family came under scrutiny during the mid-to-late 1500s for their adherence to the Catholic faith. This is probably when the “priest’s hole” was added to the house. Placing the Bedingfelds at the threat of great peril, this hole could be used as a hiding place for visiting priests or other believers.
As you look at this manor house still surrounded by a moat, it quickly conjures up images of what it must have been like to live during the War of the Roses — when the residents needed the safety and security of a fortified estate.
The interior architecture and furnishing are breathtaking. On display in archival conditions inside are intricately designed tapestries sewn by Mary Queen of Scots during her 18 years of imprisonment. Queen Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, viewed the Queen of the Scots as a threat to her own rule, and had Mary imprisoned.
Elaborately carved wood furniture adorns each room. Some of the older pieces date back more than 500 years, something you’re not likely to see in the United States.
As you stroll around the gardens, you’ll discover beautifully kept lawns and a small chapel on the premises.
In one short visit to Oxburgh Hall, you’ll get a taste of all the beauty the English countryside has to offer.
For more information, go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/regions/eastanglia/properties/norfolk/oh/oh.htm
Maj. Michele DeWerth is chief of public affairs, Headquarters 3rd Air Force, RAF Mildenhall, England. You may e-mail her at: Michele.DeWerth@mildenhall.af.mil.
Children are invited to join the National Trust Easter Trails from April 11 through May 4.
More than 130 properties, including Oxburgh Hall, will join in the holiday fun by holding quiz trails, egg hunts and other “egg-citing” activities.
Request a free Children’s Welcome Pack, full of information about events, and children’s guidebooks by calling: (+44) (0) 8 70 458 4000.
This classic moated manor house, with its magnificent Tudor gatehouse, was built in 1482 by the Bedingfeld family, who still live here.
MICHELE DEWERTH / S&S
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