Buknahams

Description

Robert Drury was granted, in 1510, licence to crenellate his manors of Hansted Hall, Buknahams and Onhowshalle, Suff.

Moat, rectangular, unoccupied, isolated. Site of Hawstead Place and associated fishponds. Water filled moat approx 10 yd wide lined with Tudor bricks. Site entered via a brick bridge on the S side, remains of the springing for which still survive. On the N and E sides there is a substantial outer bank 1-2 yds high; a break, approx 4 yds wide, in the bank on the N side, brick-lined suggests a subsidiary entrance. Nothing now remains above ground of the C16 house built by Robert Drury on the site of an earlier manor, and considerably altered by his grandson, Sir William, for Queen Elizabeth's visit in 1578, except for a statue of a wildman or Hercules restored and re- erected in 1978. Site and banks covered with trees and vegetation. In the meadow to the S are indications of two demolished ranges of farm buildings and to the SE is a brick-lined pond known to be Drury- period. To the S of the farm are 5 ponds, also contemporary, now partly silted up with vegetation and rubbish, but still impressive (Scheduling report). Manor of Bokenhams alias Talmages purchased by Roger Drury 1463-4 (Gage). His son, Sir Robert Drury, had a licence for a chapel here 1501 and a licence to crenellate his manor 1510 (Wedgwood). Description of rooms here in his will, 1531, seems to fit with the description of the house in 1784 by Sir John Cullum (Cullum). Approach to house was through a Base Court on the S side - slight earthworks still remain (1990) indicating the sites of the S and E ranges; one barn of circa 1470 still remains. Moat lies on N side of Base Court. Courtyard-plan house on western two-thirds of island. Cullum describes timber-framed building with drawing room, chapel, gate, smoking room, wood closet and dining room in S range ('royal' apartments over the W half); hall, screen and buttery in W range (the rectangular projection on this side might indicate a stair turret), kitchen and 'other offices' in the N range. The E range is described as having a cloister circa 45 ft long with views into a flower garden to the E of the house (the arches were later closed up and a parlour was made at one end). The internal courtyard measured 58 ft square. On the N side were two porches and between them stood the figure of a wildman, erected for the visit of Queen Elizabeth in 1578. Whole building was standing in 1730s; a C18 painting of the house shows a 'U' shaped house with the S range demolished (S5). Cullum's description, 1784, seems to indicate that only the N range was then standing. This range was finally demolished circa 1827 (Gage). Moated site now very overgrown with trees and bushes. Brick revetting (mainly header-bond with some irregular English bond) in poor condition. On the outside edge of the moat is a broad, flat- topped bank with brick revetting at the corners - this is obviously the broad prospect-terrace referred to by Cullum. A brick-lined gap on the N side indicates the site of the rear drawbridge. (Suffolk HER)

Comments

Mislocated by Campling as a moated site in Bradenhams Parish in Norfolk at TF91700973 and previous identified as that site in this database until 20-11-09. Based on Copringer and Suffolk HER record now identified as Hawstead Place. Gatehouse apologises for any inconvenience caused by this misidentification.