A grand county manor house which featured in the BBC show ‘Allo ‘Allo! has been put on the market for £3.5million.
Lynford Hall in Norfolk became a familiar backdrop to viewers of the hit sitcom, with its central courtyard doubling for the French town square of Nouvion and the exterior of René Artois’s café.
For around a decade, crews regularly descended on the estate to film some of the show’s most recognisable scenes.
Lynford Hall’s story stretches back more than five centuries, beginning with an early hall built around 1500.
Its first major transformation came in the early 18th century, when James Nelthorpe bought the estate and replaced the original building with a new residence set among ornamental gardens, plantations and waterways.
The Nelthorpe family held the property until 1805, after which it passed through several hands before landing with Sir Richard Sutton, who enlisted architect Charles Robert Cockerell to remodel the house and extend the surrounding parkland.
The estate took on its grand scale in the mid-19th century after it was sold to Stephens Lyne-Stephens, widely reputed to be the richest commoner in England.
Lynford Hall in Norfolk became a familiar backdrop to viewers of the hit sitcom, with its central courtyard doubling for the French town square of Nouvion
For around a decade, crews regularly descended on the estate to film some of the show’s most recognisable scenes
He demolished the earlier house and commissioned the neo-Jacobean mansion that stands today, designed by William Burn and built between 1857 and 1862.
Although Stephens died before its completion, his wife, the French ballerina Pauline Duvernay, lived at Lynford until her death in 1894.
The government later requisitioned the Hall during the Second World War, using it as a hospital and base for American forces before the Forestry Commission converted it into a training school.
From the 1960s onward, it passed into private ownership, evolving into a hotel, event venue and even a filming location for classic BBC sitcoms, securing its place in both architectural and cultural history, and later operated as a hotel and wedding venue, with a large banqueting suite added in 1997.
The 20-acre estate, in the village of Mundford near Thetford, was first listed for £5.25million in 2022, according to The Telegraph.
Now re-advertised by agent Tim Philips at £3.5million, the house’s scale belies the price tag – but extensive refurbishment is needed.
Its sewage system remains a temporary installation, and the east wing, destroyed by fire a century ago, has never been rebuilt.
Lynford Hall’s story stretches back more than five centuries, beginning with an early hall built around 1500
Its first major transformation came in the early 18th century, when James Nelthorpe bought the estate and replaced the original building with a new residence set among ornamental gardens, plantations and waterways
The Nelthorpe family held the property until 1805, after which it passed through several hands before landing with Sir Richard Sutton, who enlisted architect Charles Robert Cockerell to remodel the house and extend the surrounding parkland
The estate took on its grand scale in the mid-19th century after it was sold to Stephens Lyne-Stephens – widely reputed to be the richest commoner in England
Planning permission is in place for major extensions, including new function spaces, leisure facilities and retail areas.
Ten bedrooms sit within the main house, with a further 29 arranged around the ‘Allo ‘Allo! courtyard where the British Comedy Society installed a blue plaque in 2019.
The Grade II-listed mansion has also appeared in Dad’s Army whenever a stately home setting was required, cementing its place in British TV history.
