Ufford Hall

Ufford Hall takes its name from its owner, Robert de Ufford (abt. 1235–1298), lord of the manor of Ufford, Suffolk, formerly Peyton, who adopted the surname of Ufford after acquiring Ufford. His son was Robert Ufford, 1st Baron Ufford (1279–1316), father of Robert Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk (1298–1369). It was subsequently acquired by Henry de Sancroft and remained with the Sancroft family until the eighteenth century. Perhaps its most notable owner was William Sancroft, the 79th Archbishop of Canterbury, who was born there in 1617. Prior to his elevation to the archbishopric, Sancroft had served as Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as well as Dean of St Paul's Cathedral during the…

Ufford Hall is a fine example of the timber-framed manor house, incorporating the medieval core of an earlier open-hall house. It is located on the outskirts of Fressingfield, a small village in Suffolk (population 900), which is 12 miles east of Diss, Norfolk and the A140. At least twenty raised-aisled houses have been identified in the area, "forming a characteristic group, rarely found elsewhere in England". The house is approached by a tree-lined drive and stands on a once fully moated site, of which two substantial arms remain to this day. It “is perhaps best glimpsed in summer when the sun is shining on the south front, with its rosy ochre coloured plaster walls and dark tiled roof”.…