A Until the 13th century people attended Loudham church beside the Hall and this remained in use until 1589 when it was partly dismantled. In 1609 the church was used to store hay while the steeple became a dove house. Divine service was sometimes read in Loudham Hall.  Parishoners then began attending Pettistree church.  No trace of the church at Loudham remains, what was left was completely demolished shortly after Jacob Whitbread purchased the Hall in 1792.

In 1280 the Manor of Loudham was held by John de Loudham, of the family of de Loudham or de Lowdham who took their name from the manor.  John's son William de Lowdham gained Frenze, Co.Norfolk in 1297.  William's grandson Sir John de Lowdham (b.c1308 d.1355) gained Kelvedon, Essex by his marriage to heiress Joan de Kelvedon.  From Sir John de Lowdham the manors of Loudham, Frenze and Kelvedon passed by descent to his great-grandson John de Lowdham (b.c1377/8).

 

John's only daughter and heir Joan de Lowdham (b.c1409/10 d.20-Jun-1501) as a child married in 1422 or earlier to Thomas de Heveningham, who died soon after, in 1422. She married secondly in 1423, at the age of 14 years, to Ralph Blenerhayset esquire, of Carlisle, Cumberland, they becoming ancestor of Blennerhassett of Co.Norfolk, Co.Suffolk, Co.Fermanagh & Dublin.  Thus the manors of Loudham, Frenze & Kelvedon passed to the Blennerhasett family.

 

Following his marriage Ralph Blenerhayset and his wife resided first at Loudham, later at Frenze. On his death in 1475 he was interred in the church of St.Andrew the Apostle at Frenze, where his monumental brass and several others of his family may still be seen.  From Ralph Blennerhassett the three manors passed by descent to his son John, his grandson Sir Thomas Blennerhassett of Frenze (Minister, Seneschal, Steward or Principal Household Officer for the 2nd Duke and 3rd Duke of Norfolk), his great-grandson George Blennerhassett of Kenninghall, Norfolk, and his great-great-granddaughter Mary Blennerhassett of Loudham.

Medieval Loudham Hall was rebuilt in the late 16th century, perhaps about 1580, the year of of Francis Bacon's death.

Sir Henry Wood's second wife Mary <???> was Maid of Honour to Queen <???>. Their daughter Mary Wood (b.1664) at the age of 7 or 8 years was betrothed to Charles Fitzroy (b.1662 d.1730), one of "Barbara's Brats", the illegitimate children of King Charles II by his mistress Barbara Palmer, with a proviso that the marriage be delayed until Mary reached the age of 16. NOTE: Barbara Palmer, nee Villiers (b.c1641 d.1709) was Countess of Castlemaigne, Baroness Nonsuch, Countess of Southampton & Duchess of Cleveland.

 

Sir Henry Wood died 25-May-1671, interred in the south aisle of Ufford church, following which event the Duchess of Cleveland took charge of his daughter Mary Wood, intending to raise Mary with her own children. Charles FitzRoy was given the title of Duke of Southampton.  He did marry his bethrothed Mary Wood but she died at a young age on 15-Nov-1680.

 

Following the death of Charles FitzRoy in 1730 Loudham was inherited by Charles Cranmer, great-nephew of Sir Henry Wood (Sir Henry Wood's sister had married a Cranmer).  On inheriting the property Charles Cranmer changed his name to Wood, and it is believed he may be the man who made extensive alterations to Loudham hall starting c1730 and continuing to c1750, by which time a complete new wing, as large as the original house, had been added ["Suffolk Houses" by Eric Sandon].

 

The manor of Loudham and the family name deriving from it have over the centuries been spelt Loudham or Lowdham more-or less at random, but in modern times the place name is spelt Loudham, the family name usually Lowdham.

 

The "listed building" description for Loudham Hall states the house has a 16th century core, altered c1750 and again later in the 18th century, but some of the surviving structure may perhaps be of earlier date.

  

 

Take a video tour of Loudham Hall, video courtesy of Savills estate agents, London, 2008