Some idea of the appearance of Gawdy Hall will be obtained from the illustrations.  The house, which is Elizabethan in character, is in the shape of an "L". The structure was built of brick and subsequently covered with stucco, but it had suffered so much from the ravages of time that the present owner had it faced with new bricks.  The wing to the right of the front door is, with slight exception, exactly as it originally stood, the mullion windows being about ten feet from the ground.  The main portion of the house had at one time a much steeper roof, under which was another storey of apartments, but Mr. Gervas Holmes, the first owner of that name, finding the accommodation too large for his requirements, lowered  the pitch when he reduced the size of the house.  The porch is of recent date, but the coat of arms of the Wogans over the porch door is of the Wogan period.  The date of the erection of Gawdy Hall is uncertain, but it is evident that the original Hall was built nearly 350 years ago.  [This implies a date of around 1550 - KJW].  This is proved by an interesting old Black Leather work in Mr. Holmes's possession entitled, Histories of the Worthy Chronographer, Polybius, by Christopher Watson, published in 1568, and dedicated to Thomas Gawdy, Esq., in which the following statements on different pages appear:- "From my chamber in your house at Gawdy Hall";  "From Gawdy Hall in Norfolk."

                                     

The front door opens into a fine large hall originally floored with flag stones, but since replaced with oak.  The west or garden front of the Hall is ascribed, as well as the panelling of the hall and other rooms, to the first John Wogan.  To him also is assigned the alteration of the direction of the moat which bounds the  flower garden at the west side of the house.  It appears from an old map that at one period, the moat existed on three sides of the Hall.  When John Wogan came into possession he extended and altered it so as to give it the appearance of a river.  On the wall of the house overlooking the garden is the coat of arms of  Archbishop Sancroft, removed to the Hall when the old Harleston Chapel, which he restored, was taken down.  Many years since, when the tapestry in the present billiard room was removed, a beautiful "Star" watch of the 17th century was found, the covers, inside and out, being engraved with biblical scenes, while  the edges of the points of the star are decorated with engravings of wild animals.

 

One of the illustrations before referred to shows the front of Gawdy Hall, and the other view from the stables. In the latter can be seen the two old chimneys which now have no connection with the heating arrangements of the house, but have been left standing as a relic of former days. They are quite plain in appearance, but Mr. Holmes believes that they had tall ornamental tops. One of the illustrations before referred to shows the front of Gawdy Hall, and the other view from the  stables.  In the latter can be seen the two old chimneys which now have no connection with the heating arrangements of the house, but have been left standing as a relic of former days.  They are quite plain in  appearance, but Mr. Holmes believes that they had tall ornamental tops.

All of the above from Francis Green in Y Cymmrodor vol XV pp147-8

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