New book reveals lives and loves of Letton Hall
 A new book outlining the 250-year history of historic Norfolk country home Letton Hall, has just been published by Peter Carroll, the man whose vision saw the hall first turned into a Christian conference centre 32 years ago.
The Lives & Loves of Letton Hall is a biography of Sir John Soane’s first house. The house today survives essentially as he designed it but it is the families who occupied the house that make the book such a fascinating story.
Author Peter Carroll (pictured below) said: “Although it is mostly a secular history, the Christian history forms an important part of it - a 'new harvest' for what has been an agricultural estate for most of its life. From my point of view having owned and lived in the house for nearly 30 years I came to love it and it came to life for me.
“I bought the property 32 years ago specifically for development as a Christian centre - after very clear guidance from the Lord. We envisaged it as a family project but my first wife Mary died after only six months in Norfolk - so wider support was needed. We set it up as a charitable trust and I married Kay a couple of years later so it's been a kind of double family venture.”
The Letton Hall Trust bought the property from Peter and Kay in 2007 and is today flourishing under the guidance of managers Richard and Rachel Kehoe.
Brampton Gurdon Dillingham built the house, following a poignant love affair and marriage – and the Gurdon family, headed by Lord Cranworth, owned it for more than 130 years.
 The next squire was a 60-year-old bachelor until he brought a French wife to be mistress of the estate. Following military use during World War II, the house became the agricultural focus of the Eglington farming family.
For the last 30 years it has been used as a residential Christian conference centre.
Visit hall and meet author this weekend
Letton Hall is holding a Victorian Christmas Open Day on Saturday December 17 when you can meet author Peter Carroll, in Victorian dress, and get him to personally sign a copy of the book.
The hall is open from 11am to 4pm, recreating times past with traditional crafts and activities. You can meet characters from the House, enjoy fireside stories, candlelit tours, scrumptious goodies and gifts to make, go karts, Ye Olde Shoppe, Christmas hampers, warming winter refreshments, carol singing, Victorian games, mulled wine and mince pies. Letton Hall, Shipdham, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 7SA.
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