Norfolk House
The house was constructed in 1756 and significantly rebuilt in 1829 by William John Donthorn, one of the original founders of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Originally designed as a hunting lodge, the house has seen several substantial extensions including large formal wings to each side of the symmetrical plan and incorporation of a grand staircase inside. The original building and its extensions have been encapsulated in several layers of external brickwork to give this evolving composition an architectural coherence and resulting in substantial walls up to one metre thick in places.
An extensive restoration of the Grade 1 listed house provided the opportunity to clarify some of the original figure, composition and character of the Georgian architecture inside and out, whilst enabling the historic building containing more than 50 rooms to facilitate contemporary family living for an artist. The project forms part of a long-term masterplan for the rehabilitation of the house, outbuildings and landscape for living and the production of artwork.
