The quiet Cambridgeshire village where a grand Tudor manor once stood

The village is full of character properties, with houses costing an average of £845,000

Many Tudor figures settled in parts of Cambridgeshire, such as Catherine of Aragon when she was banished to Kimbolton by Henry VIII, and then later buried at Peterborough Cathedral. Henry VIII also visited Cambridge University many times.

The county is also made up of historic buildings constructed in the Tudor era. One village where a grand Tudor manor once stood is Kirtling.

Kirtling Manor, now known as Kirtling Tower, was built in 1530 by Edward North, a close advisor to Henry VIII. With the help of architect Francis Adams, the manor was renamed Kirtling Hall.

Tudor features were added to the manor including a gatehouse, gallery, lodgings, a banqueting house, garden, large water features and ponds. In 1578, Queen Elizabeth I stayed there as a guest of Roger North. This was during her procession across Cambridgeshire.

Over the next hundreds of years, the castle continued to develop, even past the Tudor period. By the 1660s, the manor was the largest country house in Cambridgeshire. However, after 1691 the house went into decline and by 1735, it was described as being “in disorder”.

Most of the house was pulled down by 1748. By the 1770s it wasn’t able to be lived in and by 1801, most of it was pulled down. In the 1830s, the gatehouse was turned into a residential property and it was renamed Kirtling Tower. Today, people can still visit the tower.

The tower is part of the National Garden Scheme and whilst the tower isn’t open to the public, people can visit the large formal gardens surrounding it. They feature a moat, an ornamental walled garden, a beautiful rose garden and even secret gardens.

As well as its historical significance, there is much more on offer in the quiet village of Kirtling. The village, which lies on the Cambridgeshire and Suffolk border, is surrounded by what seems like never-ending countryside and mixed woodland, making it a great place to walk.

A great place to relax and have a bite to eat is The Red Lion pub. This is the only pub in the village and it’s described as the “perfect place to meet family and friends”. It offers real ales, delicious wines and “mouth-watering” food, as well as stunning countryside views.

Kirtling is full of character properties that come with a high price tag. The average house in Kirtling costs £845,000. However, the unspoilt countryside and quiet rural life that the village offers makes up for the high price tag.