CLA East is delighted to invite you to a range of spectacular locations across our region for the CLA Autumn Visits 2021. Each unique venue will provide a highly informative and enjoyable day out and early booking is advised due to expected high demand.

Helmingham and the Tollemache family have been together for many hundreds of years. The Hall and old oak trees have seen much of the history of England pass before them, and many generations of this family. The family has lived in Suffolk from shortly after the Norman Conquest to the present day. Their home for the first 400 years was at Bentley, near Ipswich and the family almost certainly came over from Avranches on the Normandy coast. They remained at Bentley as squires and knights throughout the turbulent years of those early centuries, fighting for both Henry II against the Welsh and Edward I against the Scots.

In 1487, John Tollemache married Elizabeth Joyce, the heiress of Helmingham, and so they moved to Helmingham where the Joyce family home of Creke Hall stood. John Tollemache and his wife proceeded to pull this down and build Helmingham, completed in 1510 as it stands today, surrounded by its deep moat, serene gardens and ancient deer park.

Today, the Hall is lived in by Edward and Sophie and their 3 young children. Since moving there in 2017, they have built on the considerable work done by Edward‘s parents, Lord & Lady Tollemache and the many generations before them. The estate has diversified its activities throughout the last 20 years, away from solely agricultural use. The estate is open to many thousands of visitors a year who come to enjoy the award winning gardens and events. Its farming operation is split between an in-hand operation and a small number of long-standing tenant farmers. The events business hosts many successful events, including the Festival of Classic & Sports Cars, Plant Fairs and weddings.

The visit will begin with an update and welcome from CLA President, Mark Bridgeman, followed by a tour of the estate and gardens and a two course dinner.