Our last meeting was an afternoon guided tour of a stunning Tudor manor house, set in beautiful grounds in the village of West Stow, near Bury St Edmunds.
West Stow Hall, with its turrets, gatehouse, colonnade, and infilled moat, has an interesting and rather contentious history. The current owner took us around the house, explaining how the Hall is believed to have developed through time. Some historians have suggested that it was built by the last Abbot of Bury St Edmunds, Abbot John Reeve, but whilst there are certainly many links with the Abbey, recent evidence suggests that a Sir John Croftes and his grandson were responsible for its construction, beginning with the gatehouse in 1520. But really, who built what and when is still largely open to both discussion and new discoveries.
The Hall remained in the Croftes family until 1670, then under various ownerships over the centuries. In 2009 it was bought by Eileen and Andrew Gilbert who set about renovating it sympathetically in accordance with its Grade 1 Listing and with the guidance of English Heritage. They have certainly done their research, and Andrew’s knowledge of the Hall’s history is admirable.
As we were led through the gatehouse, along the impressive colonnade, and into the main house, various parts of the structure were pointed out to us, with an explanation as to their origins and how they have been changed over the centuries. These explanations, however, were frequently followed by a “but then again it could be…” or a “but someone else thinks…” or “but that can’t be true because…”.
And the Victorians, as ever, have a lot to answer for.
There are so many interesting things about this building but one of the most fascinating, in the first-floor chamber of the gatehouse, is a beautifully preserved wall painting thought to date from 1575. It is version of “The Four Ages of Man”, a traditional subject in art that depicts the stages of human life: childhood, youth, maturity, and old age. The first here represented by a young man out hunting inscribed ‘Thus do I all day‘; a man embracing a woman (she looks far from happy about it…), inscribed ‘Thus do I while I may‘; a middle aged man looking back inscribed ‘Thus did I when I myght’; and an old man leaning on his stick inscribed ‘Good Lord, will this worlde last for ever‘. 
If you should ever find yourself in this corner of Suffolk, West Stow Hall [open to the public on specific days of the year under the Historic Houses scheme] is well worth a visit – not least as the tour is concluded by tea and homemade cake in a very civilized setting. Perfect.
Two useful links to follow:
Take a Trip Back in Time at West Stow Hall
&
Historic Houses – Visit West Stow Hall
