East House
HADELIGH, SUFFOLK
An award-winning restoration project of a Grade II* Listed historic property
This Georgian-fronted building, originally dating from 1660, was designated as a Listed building in 1950. McCabe & Abel were awarded two Noel Turner Awards for their restoration.
WINNER
HADLEIGH SOCIETY AWARD
East House, located in the heart of the Suffolk town of Hadleigh, is a Grade II* Listed property situated within an acre of formal gardens. The building falls within a local Conservation Area, and over the years has fulfilled a number of varied functions. When East House was purchased by McCabe & Abel, the property had been vacant for a decade, having most recently served as a community facility for Suffolk County Council. It was ultimately decided that the only way to secure the long-term future of East House was to restore its original use - a residential family home - which it enjoys today.
East House includes five principal bedrooms, front and rear formal gardens, a large cellar, Georgian style reception rooms, and a vast Victorian bespoke kitchen and drawing room with period carved architraves and cornices. East House is listed as a building of note in Bentley & Pevsner's The Buildings of England. For their sensitive restoration of East House and reconstruction of the boundary wall, McCabe & Abel were awarded two Noel Turner Awards by the Hadleigh Society.
The former centre of 12 acres of private parkland, large Victorian additions were made to the Georgian frontage in the 1860s in a Neo-Elizabethan style
Described in 1801 as 'an elegant brickt and sasht house' and in 1844 as 'well suited for the residence of a genteel family', East House has had a remarkable and highly varied history, with its fronting originally erected in the 16th century. In the 1860s, large Victorian additions were made to the property with crow-stepped gables. Among its uses include residential home, boarding school and community centre, and during the Second World War, the infamous Kray Twins were evacuated to East House as young children. The rear of the property was severely fire-damaged in 1993 and was fully restored to its former glory by McCabe & Abel.
1890s
1943
The Restoration
Prior to the restoration, the building and gardens had suffered from considerable long-term neglect, with the property being vacant for 10 years. The project included the reinstatement of the historic front garden, boundary wall and cast iron railings. Having been used as a community centre prior to its renovation, as a private residence, McCabe & Abel ensured that East House is preserved for future generations.
