Long Description:The house lies in magnificent parkland in a valley next to the
River Great Ouse. The land around here regularly floods with heavy
rain. It is a building originating from the 16th century consisting
of brick covered with plaster with a tile roof.
The architecture of Bromham Hall is in various styles. Having
had the doorway restored meticulously in 1868 by command of the
late Lord Dynevor it was revealed to be a very ancient part of the
building. There are numerous, small rooms in the residence, an old,
oak, crafted staircase and 17th century oak panelling. When the
Trevors purchased the estate in 1710 the old dovecote was
demolished. Bromham Park was modelled by the Trevor family as Lord
Trevor incorporated deer and got rid of the rabbit warren. Then
promptly got rid of the deer when one frightened his wife.
The old drive from the ford at Clapham down what is now Lower
Farm Road ceased to be used in favour of the new drive leading to
Village Road. The old gate posts can still be seen standing in the
fields as reminders of this alterative driveway. Originally the new
drive was lined with Elm trees and ended with the Lodge at the
bottom of the hill, near the bridge. The old iron railings between
the churchyard and the Hall created an air of grandeur and manorial
presence over the estate but these were removed for the war effort
in 1940.
Bromham Hall is a famous house used in the Bleak House film of
1983. The entrance was used in the title role with carriages
driving through the park just like it used to be.
Bedfordshire County Council describes the Hall:
'Bromham Hall is the manor house of Bromham Manor and thus had
the same ownership, at least from medieval times including the Dyve
family (who enlarged it), the Trevors, Rices and Wingfields. The
property was valued in 1927 under the 1925 Rating Valuation Act at
which time it was owned and occupied by Richard Skinner who had
recently bought it. The valuer found that the property was entered
by a "Poor Pass[age]" Hall with a dining room facing east and
measuring 23 by 27 feet. There was also a smoking room (13 feet by
21), a "flower room" and two drawing rooms measuring 16½ by 20 and
22½ by 19 feet respectively. Seven steps led up to the first floor
and a bedroom measuring 13½ by 26 feet, a further three steps
leading to another bedroom measuring 15 feet by 14 and a bath room.
A further three steps led to a study measuring 23 feet by 11 with a
bay of 13 by 3 feet. Again three steps led up to a "tiny place"
measuring 7½ feet square. A dressing room measuring 12 feet by 20
lay at the top of the usual three steps and then five more steps
led up to a "platform" measuring 12 feet by 8 feet.
Leading from the hall was a cellar and, again on the ground
floor, a kitchen measuring 17 feet square, a scullery ("poor"), an
old butler's pantry, boot room, wc and coal store, all "little
used". The ground floor also contained a breakfast room measuring
18 feet by 17 with a stone floor, a "big store place", a servants'
hall, scullery ("big"), larder ("big and cool") and another,
smaller larder.
Another exit from the hall, up "v. small poor stairs" led to a
landing with a wc and cupboard, a small study and a bedroom
measuring 18 feet by 17 from which down two steps and along a "tiny
pass[age]" lay a bedroom measuring 19 feet by 15. two steps then
led down to a bedroom measuring 16 feet by 17 and a cupboard. A 12
by 17½ and a smaller bedroom also lay on this floor along with a
bathroom ("fair"). An attic floor lay above with 7 attic bedrooms
which had a "slope but not bad" and a set of back stairs downwards
to a separate landing with two or three "derelict" rooms and a
bathroom ("good") and two further bedrooms.
The grounds exceeded 14 acres and contained a loose box with two
stalls, five further loose boxes, a harness room with four rooms
over and two large coach houses. There was also a garage for 3
cars, a 2 stall stable and 2 hen houses. There was a walled-in
kitchen garden with a potting shed and lean-to, a heated peach
house measuring 46 feet by 12 and a vine and flower house 74 feet
by 14½ .The grounds also contained a fruit or store room ("big with
glass side"), another potting shed and heated glass house measuring
9 feet by 30, with an apple room, onion room and stoke hole,
outside lay a vegetable garden. There were also large store rooms,
a workshop, a 3 bay open wood shed, a mess room, an old dairy, a
gas engine, dynamo and battery house, three little hovels and a
"rough orchard".
Two cottages stood in the grounds, one a bungalow occupied by
Thomas Stanford comprising three rooms and a scullery, the other a
cottage occupied by Frederick Lord with a living room, kitchen and
three bedrooms upstairs - all "quite good". These houses had shared
use of a washhouse and laundry and water had to be fetched from a
pump.
Overall the valuer noted: "V. nice picturesque old House.
Repairs v. heavy. Damp in some rooms especially Din[ing] &
Draw[ing] R[oo]ms. Approach being spoilt by Building in old Park
now sold off".
The Hall was listed by the Department of Environment in 1952 at
which time it was considered to have late medieval origins,
enlarged in the 17th century, with new windows in the 18th and
other additions later. The walls were of coursed limestone rubble
and the roof of old clay tiles. The listing report noted, as can be
seen from the 1927 valuation, that the plan was complex.'
Steve Humm has some further information:
'Evidence of occupation from the Roman period has been found in the
area including pottery, bones and a stone figure that is preserved
as part of Bromham Hall. Traces of circular huts mixed with Roman
remains would suggest a Romano/British population was thriving in
the area. Bromham is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Bruneham and
later as Brimeham. The manor was then in the possession of Hugh De
Beauchamp, a prominent local landowner, who held at least 44
lordships within Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Almost certainly
these lands were given to De Beauchamp for services to William of
Normandy during the conquest of 1066. The Manor consisted of 6
hides of land including a mill valued at 20 shillings.'
The photos are provided by John Whyte who kindly took them to
our requirements.