Being built in 1580 and added to in 1870, Wood Farm has evolved over the years.
In 1685, it was noted in the Court Rolls as being a “house, barn, stable and millhouse”. It was a 70-acre holding but leased an additional 135 acres.
There is known to be a Tithe Map (P461/190) of 1840 showing good detail of the farm.
WHO OWNED WOOD FARM?
We know that the Armiger family owned Wood Farm from the 16th century until they sold it to the Russell family in the 18th century. Then from 1786, it was owned by William Tippell, and its best known tenant was Thomas Simpson of Witnesham whose innovative faming methods are noted in Arthur Young’s General View of the Agriculture of the County of Suffolk.
After being owned then by the Todd family, the farm was eventually bought by the Tollemache family of Helmingham Hall in 1890. The farmhouse and most of the land was sold in 1982 to the Wray family who stayed until selling to us, the Marks family, in 2005.
The Tudor portion of the house includes unusual and fascinating elements, such as:
- witches marks (which obviously work as we’ve never seen a witch here)
- a rare type of wooden shutter in our study (which we believe was once the dairy where milk and cheese were stored)
- makers marks on original roof beams
- the remains of a bread oven, inglenook fireplaces
- the remnants of an ancient painting (thought to be from around the time of the original build) above the master bedroom fireplace
- The house also has two impressive and very unusual chimney stacks.
Ancient painting above a fireplace
