HoblandHall
Hobland Hall was located in Suffolk, but because of boundary changes the area is now in Norfolk (52°33'16.13"N 1°42'05.93"E). The villages of Hobland, Lound, Flixton, Bradwell, Belton, Hopton, Ashby, Fritton, and Blundeston are all within 20 minutes horse ride of each other; and each has its own Norman church. There has been a church in Blundeston (52°30'53.99"N 1°42'11.06") since the 7th century, and this is described by Charles Dickens in the opening pages of "David Copperfield."
Hobbeland's or Hopland was a manor held at the time of Henry III by Henry de Hopeland. Indeed, inside the doorway of Hobland Hall was a brass plate dating back at least to the 13th century. In 1604, the manor was held by Sir John Fastalf, who gave it to Magdalen College, Oxford; it may still be in their possession. History records many famous tenants: 1724 Augustus Schultz, 1749 Gerard Trotter, 1768 David Urquhart, 1793 Thomas Fowler, and in 1823 John Thurkell, or Thurtell, at the time of his bankruptcy (see above). Subsequently Tom Barber held it (1844) and later Mrs. Barber and Colonel Lucas.
On January 24, 1961, Hobland Hall was almost destroyed by fire. Only the basement and exterior walls survived. Mr. R. G. Carter reinstated the Hall to first floor level, retaining the Georgian architecture as far as possible. The Hall was reoccupied as business premises of Birds Eye Foods in the autumn of 1961. More recently it was sold and then was torn down in February 2002 because it was in such poor condition. It has been rebuilt as a large red brick house (photo at left).
See Susan Miller's site about the history of Hobland Hall.
Sukie Hunter comments: I realise, looking at it from above, that the new house is not built exactly on the site of the old Hobland Hall. It faces in a different direction, for a start. From the map, I think the front door of the old house (which faced due south) was at 52°33'15.39"N, 1°42'05.80"E. The garden (which was square) was behind it to the north and I think the mulberry tree under which Anne Browne used to sit sewing with all the children running round her (although not 12 of them, pace Sarah Murray, as John Jr and James were respectively 17 and 15 by the time Alexander was born and not likely to do a lot of running in the garden) was bang in the middle (see the largest-scale map on Old Maps). The Hobland plantation where James remembered planting the trees is still there to the east of the house. (He would have been 13 before he ever moved to Hobland Hall - what a pity he never thought to reminisce to Alexander about where he had lived before that.)