Ingatestone Hall, 16th-century Tudor manor house in Ingatestone and Fryerning, England
Ingatestone Hall is a 16th-century manor house built with red brick walls, distinctive tall chimneys, and decorative features across its front and sides. The building spreads across multiple sections with period rooms that reveal how residents lived during the Tudor era.
The Petre family obtained this land following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 and built their residence here. The house gained prominence when Queen Elizabeth I visited during her tour of England in 1561.
The collections inside show how the Petre family lived out their Catholic faith across many generations despite the changing religious rules around them. You can see this reflected in the period furniture, paintings, and objects that fill the rooms.
The house is generally open to visitors on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons from April through September. Group visits can be arranged in advance if you are traveling with others.
Hidden priest holes were constructed within the house during the Tudor period to shelter Catholic clergy from persecution. These secret chambers reveal the real dangers that faith-practicing families faced during those years.
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