Forgotten farmhouse in Gressenhall for sale for £2.15m

Getting lost on the way to Spring Farm in Gressenhall, near Dereham, is apparently a rite of passage. At least that’s what owner Gary Harris tells me once I finally arrive.  

Situated off a farm track, it's nestled in 13 acres and flanked by sweeping lawns, rolling meadows and historic, spring-fed ponds. It’s an idyllic wildlife haven, completely removed from – but also still close to – the village.

Most of all, though, it’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. 

Gary and his wife, Judith, bought the property in 2015, after deciding to move to Norfolk. “I was an expatriate for 20 years and Gary has lived abroad since he was a child,” Judith explains, “so there comes a time when you inevitably ask yourself ‘where’s home?’” 

The setting around Spring Farm is idyllic, spanning 13 acres and with its own spring (Image: Jackson-Stops)

Although they were living and working in Dubai at the time, they looked at close to 30 properties, from Sussex to Norfolk. “We had specific requirements,” Judith says. “Ideally, that the property had land, was private and peaceful and with ancillary buildings that we could renovate to create our own footprint.  

“Norfolk felt very relaxed, was a place of beauty and suited our outlook. Additionally, with our adult children living in London and the Netherlands, Norfolk offered an easy commute to both.” 

But Spring Farm was a "forgotten gem", Judith tells me. It didn’t need renovating so much as resuscitating, and while it had been a well-loved family home, it was dated and parts of it were falling down. One builder even tried to warn them off it. 

The couple engaged what Judith refers to as “Norfolk’s finest” to do the work, which included Lambert Bardsley Reeve Architecture, Grand Designs-featured Norfolk Pro-Build and Mann Building Services, and JP Chick & Partners for structural works. 

The couple had intended to renovate the farmhouse and add a new monolith-style extension - but plans changed when they realised how much heritage the original building held (Image: Jackson-Stops)

“The renovation process began with stripping back the main farmhouse to decipher what we were faced with,” Judith explains. “Initially we were told it dated to 1542; however, as the farmhouse revealed itself, we discovered a much older oak-framed dwelling, constructed from wattle and daub, clay lump, lime render, flint and brick.  

“Walls, ceilings and many significant features – including three fireplaces on the first floor – were concealed behind plasterboard.” 

Judith says she became fascinated by the history of the house, and later employed a house historian and genealogist to research it, who suggested it had probably been built as a religious hall house. 

The property is named after the prolific subterranean spring which serves as its water source and feeds the holy Well of St Agnes, within the grounds. It’s believed that pilgrims would visit the holy well as a diversion on their way to the Marian Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham.

The spring itself is a consistent high-volume water source, having served the purest of water to the farm and its tenants, as well as supporting the land and wildlife for over 2,000 years.

It's believed that pilgrims used to visit the site on their way to Walsingham and that the original farmhouse was a religious hall house (Image: Jackson-Stops)

“Due to the proximity of the Well of St Agnes, a sacred spring visited by Marian pilgrims [enroute to Walsingham], the farmhouse is inscribed with many ritual protection markings, including Marian marks, hexafoils, concentric circles, diagonal lines and taper marks,” explains Judith. “A witch bottle filled with nails, bones and thorns was also discovered, but promptly returned to its original place of concealment.” 

Judith says the previous owners also left a set of coats of arms for Astley of Melton and Seaton Delaval, baronets and barons of Hastings, which further sparked her curiosity. “The Hastings had substantial land holdings in Gressenhall and Spring Farm was part of the estate until 1542, when the estates pass by marriage into the L’Estrange family,” she explains.

The couple say it took around two years for them to renovate the farmhouse, which included putting the roof on twice to showcase the building’s impressive vaulted rafters.

 
They’ve kept what they can of the original features, ditching their plans for a more monolithic extension at the back to better expose what was there. 

It’s been completely stripped back to create semi open-plan living spaces on both levels, with a surprising amount of light and far-reaching views. 

The property is bursting with period detail and character, with exposed bricks, two huge inglenook fireplace and Norfolk pamments laid throughout (Image: Jackson-Stops)

The original upstairs floorboards have been exposed to create the downstairs ceilings, and handmade Norfolk pamments run throughout – but there are other additions too, like underfloor heating, powered by an air source heat pump in the plant room, triple-glazed windows and two large inglenook fireplaces fitted with multi-fuel or woodburners. 

The large kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor is fitted with an oversized Belfast sink, as well as high-spec integrated appliances and bespoke storage units, and there’s a huge breakfast bar in the centre. 

The dining hall features a bespoke table made from the farm’s old water tank, and an open framework from the original beams allows in a surprising amount of light. From here, French doors open on to a decked terrace outside, and there’s a hatch in the floor which leads down to the former icehouse, now used for storage. The rest of the ground floor features a large sitting room and snug. 

The couple transformed the first-floor accommodation to create a luxurious bedroom suite with four interconnecting rooms and an incredible vaulted ceiling (Image: Jackson-Stops)

Upstairs, former bedrooms have been reconfigured to create one indulgent bedroom suite, which features beautiful carved ceiling beams. The space is divided into four flowing rooms and includes a spacious landing room, bathroom – which has a huge rainfall shower and a free-standing roll-top tub – and dressing room, which is hidden behind a secret door. 

A shingle driveway divides the main farmhouse from the two barns, which have also been completely rebuilt and weren’t complete until 2019. “Where possible, original architectural salvage has been reused and given a new perspective,” says Judith. 

“We wanted a raw and natural finish to the interiors, making no apologies for structural repairs, and leaving surfaces with original patina, including old wallpaper and paint, farmer’s handwritten grain calculations and carpenter marks, so that the property showcases the layers of history.” 

As well as the farmhouse, Judith and Gary have also renovated two barns next door - including one with this huge entertaining space and bespoke kitchen with cabinets constructed out of stable doors (Image: Jackson-Stops)

Silo Barn is the bigger of the two and features a sociable, open-plan living and entertaining space with a fully-equipped bar built out of a church pew. The kitchen space has units created out of old stable doors and is fitted with a good range of appliances, while a long hallway, which mixes old and new beams, leads on to three boutique-style en suite guest bedrooms. 

There is also a laundry and boot room and access to a heated cart shed which has a Scandi-style loft space above it. 

Situated behind Silo Barn, and across a lawned courtyard, is Summer Barn, which has a large study or guest bedroom and a large workshop – as well as lots of potential to reconfigure the space, should new owners want to and planning allows.

Silo Barn offers three boutique-style en suite bedrooms (Image: Jackson-Stops)

Although the couple bought Spring Farm as their forever home, a new adventure awaits. “When exciting new opportunities present, we have always believed in embracing them and not being static,” says Judith.  

Gary says the process has been good fun and a great journey, allowing them to learn a new set of skills and give life back to the building.

“I always thought it was really naff when people would say ‘oh, you’re just a custodian’”, he says, “and now I kind of get it.  

“The fact that this house will stand for another 100 years, at least, as a result of what we’ve done is very satisfying.” 

Spring Farm, Gressenhall, is on the market with Jackson-Stops for £2.15m. For more information, contact the team on 01328 801333.