19/09/2016
The earliest records relating to Buzzards Hall date from the 15th Century which document it as part of a group of buildings on the corner of Old Gaol Street and C**k Lane. Notes from the 17th Century reveal the Hall as the home of a prosperous clothier, Mr Pleasant Spring. Deeds from the 17th Century also mention a wool hall, built by William Hassel, which survives today.
In 1709 the property became the home of a Thomas Gainsborough and heiress, Elizabeth Fenn, as part of their marriage settlement. Thomas' success as a clothier enabled him to help his nephew, also named Thomas, to pursue his career as an artist (to great effect)! Today, a stone's throw from Buzzards Hall is Gainsborough's House Museum and Art Gallery, housing some of his famous works.
In the late 18th Century, the Hall became known as 'Buzzards'. The building continued to be owned by a succession of clothiers from the area, and towards the end of the 18th Century, became the home of the Ellis family, also prominent clothiers.
Since that time, the building has seen a variety of uses until 1993 when it was acquired by the Somerville Group who undertook a major repair and restoration project to restore Buzzards Hall to its rightful place in the heritage of Sudbury. Somerville is proud to have been the guardian of this building between 1993 and September 2016. The building is now in the safe hands of the new owners (The Secret Garden - Sudbury) who are about to embark on an exciting journey to turn the building back to being a restaurant for the first time in 25 years.
