Brief for the Historic Building Record
of
Hales Hall
Hales Hall Barn
Moated site
Adjoining Cottage
and Boundary wall
Norfolk Historic Environment No.(NHER) 1053
Grid reference: TM 3693 9605
Civil Parish: Loddon
Local Planning Authority: South Norfolk Council
Compiled by:
Stephen Heywood, Historic Buildings Officer.
Norfolk Historic Environment Service
Union House, Gressenhall
Dereham. NR20 4DR.
Email: stephen.heywood@norfolk.gov.uk .
Introduction
The site stretches back at least to the 12th century with visible remains dating to the later
Middle Ages. The surviving buildings are the long range containing the gatehouse forming
the north boundary of the precinct and the equally long barn forming the south. A wall with a
gateway forms the east boundary and to the west is the moat with the remains of the earlier
hall within.
Extensive field walking has been undertaken in the surrounding fields and evidence of a
settlement associated with the site has been found (NHER 16856) and landscape studies have
identified the boundary of a deer park.1
The hall and barn are each grade I, the cottage off the south east corner of the hall and the
boundary wall are each of grade II* and the moated site with remains of hall is a scheduled
monument.
The Historic Buildings Officer is available and invites the contractor to make contact if any
further information or discussion is required
See Alan Davison, ’The Evolution of Settlements in three Parishes in South-East Norfolk’, East Anglian
Archaeology, 49, 1990.
1
Planning Background
Major repairs and improvements have taken place over recent months with the involvement
of the local planning authority- South Norfolk Council, the Historic Environment Service of
the County Council and English Heritage. A condition on the planning permission received
was that a historic building record is compiled which documents the principal changes that
have taken place and provides a comprehensive analytical record of the buildings and site.
The Requirement for Work
This should correspond in the main to level 4 of the English Heritage publication
Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Building Practice. 2006.2 This should
provide a full analytical Record.

As regards background research it is recommended in the first instance to consult The
Historic Environment Record which has extensive records of the excavations as well
as other relevant material including source and archive references.


For documentary research use of the Norfolk Record Office is also recommended.
Contact needs to be made with the previous owners of the hall who had collected
much information on the history and archaeology of the site as well as carrying out
major essential repairs.
There are archival photographs held by the National Monuments Record which date
from when the building was virtually derelict and copies of these should be included.
Properly captioned photographs are to be provided and incorporated into the text
where necessary.
A separate photographic record with camera positions indicated on a block plan is
required.
Some drawings already exist and copies should be included in the report. Other
drawings may need to be made such as representative examples of the different roof
truss types which need drawn explanation.
Dendrochronology has taken place and the results need to be incorporated in the
report and interpreted.
An explanation of the significance of the site in comparison with other sites and
buildings in the region is required.






The historian will prepare a method statement or specification for this programme of analysis
and submit this to the Historic Environment Service for approval before costs are prepared
for the commissioning client. The Programme of Archaeological Work will include, as
appropriate, background research, fieldwork, assessment, analysis, preparation of report,
publication and deposition of the project archive.
The historian will contact the HER Officer of the Historic Environment Service in advance of
work starting to obtain an event number for the project.3
The archaeological research aims and objectives of the project will be clearly stated, and the
method statement or specification will demonstrate how these will be met. Appropriate
reference may be made to the :-
2
3
Product code 51125. Can be obtained from English Heritage: customers@english-heritage.org.uk.
Norfolk Historic Environment Record: heritage@norfolk.gov.uk, 01362 869282
Medlycott, M (ed.) (2011) Research and Archaeology Revisited: a revised framework
for the East of England East Anglian Archaeology Occasional Paper 24.
(www.eaareports.org.uk).
The method Statement or specification should indicate the number of person days allocated to
the fieldwork stage of the project
Any subsequent variation to a specification or method statement must be agreed with the
Historic Environment Service prior to its implementation.
At the start of work (immediately before fieldwork commences) an OASIS online record
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/project/oasis/ must be initiated and key fields completed on Details,
Location and Creators forms.
When the project is completed, all parts of the OASIS online form must be completed for
submission to the Norfolk Historic Environment Record. This will include an uploaded .pdf
version of the entire report. A copy of the OASIS form must be included in the final report.
Submission of Final Report
Notwithstanding any requirements on presentation by the client, two hard copies and a PDF
copy on CD of the Report should be supplied to the Historic Environment Service for the
attention of the Historic Buildings Officer within eight weeks of the completion of the
fieldwork on the understanding that this will become a public document after an appropriate
period of time (generally not exceeding six months).
4 April 2014