Catton Old Hall - Old Catton Norwich (Pvt)
Catton Old Hall was built as a gentleman's house by William Bussey in 1632 and is now a private hotel.
The name Catton Old Hall is not known to have been used prior to 1845, the original name for the house having been Moregate. Many stone blocks incorporated into the structure of this house derive from medieval ecclesiastical property situated in Catton Church Street half a mile away from c1200.
In 1697 the property was acquired by John Norman and on his death in 1724 it fell to the trustees of his estate to administer.
Between 1858 – 1871 the Old Hall was divided into two, so as to form cottage accommodation for workers at the adjacent farm, the tenancy of which was held by Ephraim Hinde from 1850 until his death in 1882. In 1964 the Norman Trustees put the Old Hall up for auction. It was acquired by Kenneth Jarrett of Norwich and the house was reconverted into a single dwelling. The farm associated with the Old Hall was also broken up about this time.
Roger & Anthea Cawdron purchased the hall in November 1987 from
the Jarrett family who had lived in the house for 20 years. Obtaining planning
permission and change of use was a struggle with some local opposition.
Eventually after almost 4 years and
on 2nd appeal to the DoE, permission was granted.
The house remained unoccupied for most of this time and the condition deteriorated dramatically. Eventually the restoration started in July 1991. Roger employed sub contractors and did the rest of the work himself. Anthea chose all the interior designs and soft furnishings. The work took over 12 months to complete and the hall was opened for business with just 2 rooms for bed & breakfast in August 1992.
You enter the Old Hall through a central doorway. Rising to the first floor is a charmingly uneven 17th century stair with turned balusters.
The Old Hall now has 7 en-suite letting rooms and is a
friendly place to stay. These rooms are named after local historical figures and places:
William Bussey & his son James built the main
house on 1632
Robert Bignold the founder of Norwich Union, lived
nearby
John Norman the Sheriff of Norwich in 1705 and Mayor
in 1714 lived here with his wife Anne.
Nicholas Copping, a grandson of William Bussey,
inherited the hall in 1690 was a Freeman and a brewer in Norwich.
Anna Sewal the authoress of Black Beauty, lived in
Old Catton
St Margaret is the name of the local church
Sir Edward Berry Nelson’s Flag Captain lived in Old Catton
An extended history of the property, researched by Geoffrey I Kelly in July 1992 can be found at the Old Hall.