Ancestral Homes In The Modern Age: Somerleyton Hall

Somerleyton Hall was built in the Suffolk countryside in 1204, and passed on to the Crossley family in 1863 when Sir Francis Crossley, a carpet manufacturer and member of Parliament, bought the estate. The house now belongs to Hugh Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton. In Part 1 of our Ancestral Homes series, Bisnow talked with Lord Somerleyton about how he’s developed his estate into a business that allows him to maintain this national treasure—and his family home.

Hugh grew up in the house, so he was never conscious that it was anything special. He did notice there was plenty of room to venture free—one aspect of his upbringing that he hopes to pass on to his young son John and daughters Christabel and Margot.

He comes across as a thoroughly modern guy, despite his ancient title and grand home. He and his family live in the former kitchens and servant’s quarters of Somerleyton Hall, and he’s a successful entrepreneur. In 2000, he launched his first restaurant called Dish Dash in Belham. In 2013, he opened Hot Chip in Norwich. In addition, he oversees the house, 120 houses that he rents, 75 holiday retreats, a farm, two pubs and Suffolk’s largest natural lake.

Once in a while, Hugh tells us, an oldster from the village will address him as M’lord in deference to his father, but even that has mostly died out. When it does happen, it reinforces the feeling of responsibility for the estate, he says. Otherwise, the old “lord of the manor” life doesn’t exist anymore, he adds. 

He has changed with the times. But the house is central—a part of him and a part of history. 

While some might altruistically claim they are mere custodians of a small shard of English history, Hugh dismisses that. “It is definitely my home,” he says, and his feelings toward Somerleyton Hall are the same anyone feels about their home, an almost personal relationship.   

His wife, Lara, and kids give the house a vital energy, he says. Parties do too. Grand old houses are commercially on war footing. It costs about £300k/year to keep Somerleyton Hall running, Hugh says, and one way to make the house earn its keep is to rent it out. About 20 times a year, couples rent the entire house as a wedding venue; companies sometimes rent it for corporate events. “We don’t often have personal parties,” Hugh tells us, but he loves seeing the house dressed up, with butlers and decorations and happy people filling the rooms.

It's what the house was designed for, but it is impossible to live that kind of life full time these days, Hugh says. And he enjoys sharing it now and then—there is a certain freedom in getting away from it for a few days. “It’s like when you have kids,” he says. “You never regret having them, but you occasionally think back to the freedom you had before they came along.” When he can leave for a few days, he always appreciates the house when he returns. “It’s like a grand house swap,” he says. 

He's eager to travel for Christmas and the New Year—which he tells us is the only time he feels bittersweet about leaving—but he and Lara are hoping to rent it out for the holidays. The house is particularly gorgeous then: glamorous and glittery and full of warm holiday memories.