Didlington Hall
Norfolk
| Location | Didlington | ||
| Year demolished | 1950/52 | ||
| Reason | Wartime neglect | ||
| See all images: | Gallery | ||
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The loss of Didlington Hall and its remarkable collection is still lamented locally and is widely regarded as one of the most significant losses among Norfolk's many vanished estates. Had the house and its collection remained intact, it would likely be considered one of England's great treasure houses today.
The estate was originally owned by the Wilson family from the mid-1600s. In 1832, Robert Wilson was summoned to the House of Lords under the revived title of Baron Berners, becoming the 9th Baron. The original 17th-century house became the west wing, with further additions to the south side in the late 18th century and a new north front in the early 19th century.
The family sold the estate in 1846 to Lord William Powlett, who held it for only a short period before selling it to William George Tyssen Amherst in the early 1850s. At the time, Amherst was living nearby at Foulden Hall. He immediately undertook a series of improvements to his new seat, including the addition of an Italianate-style east front and a tower. However, he did not live to enjoy his new residence for long, as he died in December 1855 before the works were completed. His son, who inherited the estate at just 20 years old, oversaw their completion.
William Amherst Tyssen-Amherst (1835–1909) became a noted bibliophile and collector, amassing a significant collection of rare books, tapestries, antique furniture, works of art, and Egyptian artifacts. He was created 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney in 1892, after serving as a Member of Parliament from 1880 to 1892. However, he was perhaps best known for his Egyptian collection, which included the Leider and Lee collections, purchased in the 1860s, and numerous later acquisitions, including his own discoveries from expeditions. Amherst was a patron of the young Howard Carter, the Egyptologist who later discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. Carter first visited Didlington Hall as a child when his father, a well-known artist, was commissioned to paint there. Bored during these visits, Carter explored the Egyptian room, where Amherst's collection ignited his lifelong fascination with Egyptology. The Amhersts were instrumental in introducing Carter to the field, providing key contacts and recommendations that led to his early career in Egypt.
To house his collection, Amherst constructed a fine single-storey museum on the south side of the estate. The 1910 sale particulars describe the space:
'...a stately apartment, finished throughout in oak, and measuring 90 ft. 9 in. by 28 ft. 3 in. At one end is a MINSTREL GALLERY for Organ. Remarkably handsome Italian Renaissance carved marble mantel-piece with medallions in relief. The room is lighted on the South and East by lofty windows.'
These and other improvements were completed under the supervision of architect Richard Norman Shaw in the 1880s, following Amherst's retirement from Parliament.
Despite his obvious academic pursuits, William Amhurst was also very much aware of his responsibility as a landowner and employer. The 7,000 acre estate employed over 300 workers whom William looked after by building 160 cottages, supporting four local schools and paying for the restoration of churches in Didlington, Bodney, Langford and Cranwich.
The Tyssen-Amherst family's wealth largely derived from their London estate. However, Amherst entrusted its management to his land agent, Charles Chester Cheston, a decision that proved disastrous. Cheston embezzled vast sums to fund his gambling habit, depleting the family's finances, possibly by several million pounds. The fraud was uncovered in 1906 following Cheston's death from a heart condition, contrary to widespread but erroneous reports of suicide*. The financial devastation forced the sale of much of the Didlington library, one of Amherst's greatest passions.
The first of the sales took place amid much interest at Sothebys on 3 December 1908 and it was reported in The New York Times (pg. 2 - 4 December 1908) that the famous collector John Pierpont Morgan had acquired the 16 Caxton books in a private sale for $500,000 - considered a good price by the other dealers. J.P. Morgan also purchased the King Charles I copy of the Cambridge Bible for $5,000 (The New York Times - pg. 9 - 9 December 1908). One of the few Gutenberg bibles was also bought for the library of Charles William Dyson Perrins, which was particularly strong in medieval illuminated manuscripts and printed ballads. Over the two sales in December 1908 and March 1909, over one thousand lots were auctioned off, decimating the library William Amherst had so carefully built since 1856.
Whether the betrayal and financial crisis hastened Amherst's death is unknown, but he passed away in January 1909. His title and estate passed to his daughter, Mary, Baroness Amherst (1857–1919), who sold the house and its 7,105-acre estate the following year.
The estate was purchased by Colonel Herbert Francis Smith, who invested significantly in modernizing the property, including the construction of a fine cricket pitch. During World War II, Didlington Hall was requisitioned by the army and served as the headquarters for General Miles Dempsey, commander of the British Second Army during the D-Day landings.
After the war, the house remained unoccupied, as wartime damage and neglect had left it beyond economic repair. Colonel Smith died in 1949, and that same year, the decision was made to demolish the house. The process began with a two-day auction in April 1950, selling valuable fixtures and fittings, including marble chimneypieces, oak doors, a carved oak staircase, flooring, paneling, cornices, and architraves. A final sale in May 1952 included window frames, joists, baths, and doors, after which demolition commenced.
Today, the estate's setting remains remarkably intact. A new house has been built on the original site, and aerial views reveal the lakes, tree-lined avenues, remnants of garden buildings, and the boathouse. The stables and coach house have been converted into a residence. These surviving elements serve as poignant reminders of one of Norfolk’s lost great houses, its estate, and its once-magnificent collection.
Further images and more information about the family is available from Amhersts of Didlington
* Thank you to Alan Theobald for the detail regarding Charles Chester Cheston's death.