Do I need a permit to film at Somerleyton Hall?

Yes — filming on or around Somerleyton Hall typically requires a permit. Allow roughly 5–10 working days lead time for most UK councils. Interior shoots on private property may also need owner consent.

Is parking available at Somerleyton Hall?

On-site parking is available at Somerleyton Hall. Capacity varies — confirm crew-vehicle numbers with the venue before the day.

How much does it cost to film at Somerleyton Hall?

Somerleyton Hall sits in the £££ band. Typical UK film-location day rates range from under £200 for simple interior shoots to well over £1,000 for period properties and landmark venues. Confirm with the venue directly.

What crew size is suitable for Somerleyton Hall?

Somerleyton Hall can accommodate a large crew of 15+ including feature-film unit requirements, trucks, and extras.

Has anything been filmed at Somerleyton Hall before?

Somerleyton Hall appears on Filmshoot's UK location index because it has a documented track record or strong characteristics for film and photography. Specific production credits aren't displayed unless publicly confirmed by the venue — ask the venue directly or check ScreenSkills and IMDb Locations for verified credits.

Somerleyton Hall — film location in Somerleyton

Somerleyton Hall

Somerleyton · NR32

Summary

A Grade II* Jacobean and Italianate country house on a 5,000-acre estate near Lowestoft in Suffolk, seat of the Barons Somerleyton, with 12-acre formal gardens including a celebrated yew maze by William Andrews Nesfield and a ridge-and-furrow greenhouse by Joseph Paxton, used as a filming location for The Weekend Murders (1970) and The Lost Prince (BBC, 2003, as Sandringham House).

About this location

Somerleyton Hall stands on a 5,000-acre estate at Somerleyton in Suffolk, close to the Norfolk border and approximately seven miles from Lowestoft. A manor has been on the site since 1240. The present building dates primarily from a major rebuilding carried out between 1843 and 1850 for Samuel Morton Peto, a prosperous contractor and Member of Parliament who had made his fortune building railways and public buildings across Britain. Peto commissioned the architect and sculptor John Thomas — who had previously worked for Prince Albert — to transform the existing Tudor-Jacobean mansion into an Anglo-Italian composition combining Jacobean and Italianate elements. Peto also had the gardens redesigned: William Andrews Nesfield laid out the formal gardens, including a celebrated yew hedge maze created in 1846, while Joseph Paxton designed a ridge-and-furrow greenhouse of exceptional quality. The clock tower houses a clock designed by Benjamin Vulliamy.

Financial difficulties forced Peto to sell the estate in 1863 to Sir Francis Crossley of Halifax, a carpet manufacturer and MP. Sir Francis’s son Savile was created Baron Somerleyton in 1916. The hall remains in the Crossley family; Hugh Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton, inherited in 2012 and lives at the hall with his family. The formal gardens cover 12 acres of the estate and feature, in addition to the maze, a walled kitchen garden, a long pergola covered with roses and wisteria, an aviary, and specimen trees. The lake at Somerleyton was used by Christopher Cockerell in 1955 for his early hovercraft experiments.

The Weekend Murders (1970, directed by Michele Lupo, an Italian giallo crime film partly produced in England) used Somerleyton Hall as its principal interior. The Lost Prince (BBC, 2003, written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, starring Miranda Richardson and Michael Gambon, dramatising the life of Prince John, youngest son of George V) used Somerleyton Hall and its to stand in for Sandringham House.

Enquire upstream

Route through East of England (unknown council).

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Access notes

Parking: On-site parking available — confirm crew-vehicle capacity with the venue.
Loading access: Loading access not listed. Confirm access points, door widths, and lift availability with the venue before the day.
Public transit: Somerleyton has mainline rail and regional bus connections. Check the nearest station and allow for equipment on-foot from transit.

Ask us about this location

Quick question before you enquire upstream? We often know day-rate ranges, permit lead times, or a direct-to-owner shortcut not shown on the source page.

On the map

Somerleyton — drag to pan, scroll to zoom.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to film at Somerleyton Hall?: Yes — filming on or around Somerleyton Hall typically requires a permit. Allow roughly 5–10 working days lead time for most UK councils. Interior shoots on private property may also need owner consent.
Is parking available at Somerleyton Hall?: On-site parking is available at Somerleyton Hall. Capacity varies — confirm crew-vehicle numbers with the venue before the day.
How much does it cost to film at Somerleyton Hall?: Somerleyton Hall sits in the £££ band. Typical UK film-location day rates range from under £200 for simple interior shoots to well over £1,000 for period properties and landmark venues. Confirm with the venue directly.
What crew size is suitable for Somerleyton Hall?: Somerleyton Hall can accommodate a large crew of 15+ including feature-film unit requirements, trucks, and extras.
Has anything been filmed at Somerleyton Hall before?: Somerleyton Hall appears on Filmshoot's UK location index because it has a documented track record or strong characteristics for film and photography. Specific production credits aren't displayed unless publicly confirmed by the venue — ask the venue directly or check ScreenSkills and IMDb Locations for verified credits.