Steeped in History, Woolverstone Hall is so much more than a beautiful country house wedding venue…
origins and the tale of the monkeys
Built in 1776, Woolverstone Hall is a Grade I listed building set in 80 acres of parkland on the banks of the River Orwell. It is widely thought of as one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in England.
Berners purchased the estate in 1773 and engaged architect John Johnson to build his gentleman's country residence. The site of the hall is typical of the 18th Century interest in the surrounding landscape and appreciation of beautiful views and vistas. A grand driveway leads guests to the front of the hall, while the rear of the building overlooks the River Orwell, with views both down and upstream towards Ipswich, thanks to the curved structure.
Unlike many other 18th Century houses of note, Woolverstone Hall is as attractive from the back, as it is from the front, perhaps owing to the classic Palladian design; consisting of a central block which originally housed the main living quarters, flanked by two smaller wings which were added in 1823.
There is one unusual feature of note - the inclusion of several sculptures of monkeys…
In the 1800s, there were some resident pet monkeys on the Woolverstone estate. One night there was a fire and the monkeys made such a noise, they woke the household, thus saving many lives. As a result stone monkeys were placed on the gates at the entrance and feature throughout the park. To this day you will see features nodding to the tale of the monkeys!
1930 - present day
In 1930s, the Woolverstone estate was sold to Lord Nuffield, as an investment for Oxford University. Then, during the Second World War it was requisitioned as a naval training establishment. Becoming HMS Woolverstone, a shore-based naval station. Dummy landing crafts were made there as part of the deceptions that went on around D-Day.
After the war, in 1950, the London County Council took it over as a boys' boarding School thus beginning Woolverstone’s heritage as a school. In 1992 it was sold to Ipswich High School who moved to Woolverstone from central Ipswich. With the move to Woolverstone Hall, upgrades to the facilities followed, with the opening of both a new sports hall and a new theatre complex in June 1993.
To this day, Woolverstone Hall continues to be a fantastic day and boarding school, stunning venue for theatre and sports and one of the finest country house wedding venues Suffolk has to offer.