East Harling Hall

Description

Harling Old Hall was built around 1490 almost certainly on the site of medieval Herling's Manor. The Old Hall was demolished in the 19th century. Earthworks of a medieval moated site with internal features, an adjoining enclosure with possible medieval fishponds within it and flint and brick foundations of post medieval kitchen, garden and orchard walls have been recorded at the site, some of which are visible on aerial photographs and have been mapped as part of the National Mapping Programme. During development of a vineyard nearby a post medieval tile kiln was found. (Norfolk Heritage Explorer)

East Harling Hall had a dominating gatehouse tower of four storeys above an arched entrance, built in c. 1490 by Sir Thomas Lovell (d. 1524) and pulled down in the early nineteenth century. (Emery 2000)

Comments

Some of the heraldic glass in the local parish church, showing Lovell arms, probably came from the Hall originally (see Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi)
The Norfolk Heritage Explorer webpage has a sketch image entitled 'The Prospect of East-Herling Hall' (From Harrison 1914?), which by style seems to be a C18 drawing showing a house with numerous large windows and a 5 storey crenellated gatehouse of a style similar to Oxburgh Hall (taller but with less decoration and small turrets).
Thomas Lovell was a significant, if relatively minor, member of the gentry. A friend to John de Vere, Earl of Oxford and his deputy as constable of the Tower of London. It is no surprise his house had some martial symbolism but despite a tall gate tower and a moat this was certainly no fortress. It was, as most such houses and castle were, a symbolic representation of his power and status. This status partially still derived from the 'feudal' obligation of military service as a knight and partly from his status as a man learned in Classical studies and his house, with its crenellations and renaissance classic features, showed this.