Kilverstone Hall viewed across the ha-ha

Kilverstone Hall is a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in Kilverstone in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, England.

History

Kilverstone Hall is a country house built in the early 17th century which was passed down the Wright family of Kilverstone. It was greatly enlarged by

Josiah Vavasseur Josiah Vavasseur (26 November 1834 – 13 November 1908) was an English industrialist who founded Vavasseur and Co. (also known as London Ordnance Works). In 1883 the company merged with W.G. Armstrong and Company, and Vavasseur became a direc ...

, technical director of the arms manufacturing firm William Armstrong Ltd. It included a parkland estate of . Upon Vavasseur's death in 1908 the house and park were inherited by Cecil Fisher, son of Admiral Lord Fisher and adopted heir to Vavasseur. Admiral Fisher and his wife moved into the Hall by invitation of Cecil Fisher upon the Admiral's retirement as

First Sea Lord The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS) is the military head of the Royal Navy and Naval Service of the United Kingdom. The First Sea Lord is usually the highest ranking and most senior admiral to serve in the British Armed Fo ...

in 1910 and lived there until he was recalled as First Sea Lord upon the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1914. Lord Fisher's grave is in Kilverstone churchyard. The house was remodelled in a Jacobean style in 1913. It still remains the property of the Fisher family and has the mailed fist and trident of Lord Fisher's baronial crest on its gateposts. The house is listed Grade II on the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, a ...

. The Kilverstone Club in the grounds of the house is Grade II listed, as is the water tower, entrance lodge, stable block, and the base of a Medieval cross near the hall.

The Wrights

The perhaps most famous of the Wrights of Kilverstone was Thomas Wright of Kilverstone, who married Jane Jermyn. Of their children: * Thomas Wright, Esq., of Kilverstone and Weeting, the heir, entered Lincolns Inn on 5 June 1624. * John Wright of West Lexham and Ovington, Norfolk, 2nd son, entered Lincolns Inn on 5 June 1624. * Jermyn Wright (b.1608) of Wangford in Suffolk, 3rd son, entered Lincolns Inn on 27 November 1626, the father of Sir Robert Wright, Chief Justice of the King's Bench * Anne, ''m''. to William Stebbing, Esq. * Sarah, ''m''. to James Ward, Esq. of Hindringham, son and heir of Hamond Warde of Letheringsett, gentleman, at Kilverstone on 8 August 1626. Their marriage settlement is dated 20 July the same year. In 1695, a James Ward, Gent. of Hindringham, was lord of

Great Snoring Great Snoring is a rural village in North Norfolk by the River Stiffkey, in the east of England. It is situated approximately north-west from the city and county town of Norwich, and north from the larger village of Little Snoring. At th ...

. He gave it with Thursford-Schelton's to Mr. Nun of Thorpland, who held it in 1715. In about 1570 Nover's Manor in Hindringham was conveyed to Martin Hastings, who sold it to Giles Mabbs, or Nabbs, gentleman. He left two daughters and coheirs; Mary, married to Riches Brown, Esq. of Fulmodeston, and another daughter whose first name is unknown, married to a James Ward, gentleman of Hindringham.

References

{{coord, 52.4227, 0.7813, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Breckland District Country houses in Norfolk Grade II listed buildings in Norfolk Grade II listed houses Jacobethan architecture