Erwarton Hall

The village of Erwarton (alternatively Arwarton) is recorded in Domesday. The lordship of the manor was held by the D'Avillars, descending to the Calthorpes. The last of this line, Sir Philip Calthorpe, married Amata Boleyn, becoming uncle-by-marriage of Queen Anne Boleyn. Anne visited Erwarton as a child and a long-held local tradition maintains that her heart is buried in the crypt of the Church of St Mary in the village. Calthorpe died c.1549 and the Erwarton Gatehouse may have been built to commemorate his memory. The church contains his tomb, situated in the south aisle. Peter Ashley, in his study Comings and goings: Gatehouses and Lodges published in association with English Heritage,…

The "spectacular" gatehouse is of red brick with a central tunnel supported by six buttresses. These, and three cardinal points on the roof, are topped by elaborate pinnacles. The gatehouse is single-storeyed, with entrance gates set into each end. No architect is known, but the style is described by Historic England as an "outstanding early example in England of Renaissance architecture".}}