History of Sugnall Hall Estate

In 1993 the estate was passed on to their elder son, Dr David Jacques, a specialist in garden history and conservation. In 1999 the Sugnall Business Centre, former farm buildings, was opened.

Meanwhile the pools in the woods on the way down to Copmere were cleaned out, and miles of hedges were planted at the outset of the new century. Several old and new ‘permissive’ paths were created, so that the public can enjoy the woods and parkland between the walled kitchen garden and Copmere.

The Sugnall Estate took the kitchen garden back in hand from the start of 2006 and spent that year sorting out the paths, electricity and water, ready for planting 200 apple and pear trees in the spring of 2007. The walled garden started having weddings in 2014 and in 2015 the tea room and weddings business were let to Old School Wines of Tittensor. In addition to weddings, the garden hosts plant fairs and other events, and even held a jazz and blues festival in 2016.

That year it was decided to renovate the present hall for short lets, which involved a new wood-pellet boiler providing hot water and central heating for the hall and several other properties. Nine new bathrooms had to be created, and eleven bedrooms refurbished, so that house parties of up to 28 could be catered for. The reception rooms remained in their late Victorian and Edwardian form, so the house was once more capable of hosting traditional house parties.