Norton Conyers

Norton Conyers is a late medieval manor house with Stuart and Georgian additions.

First mentioned in Domesday Book in 1086 but recent discoveries suggest there was a habitation here in Viking times. It is one of the most complex timber-framed houses in the country and except for the twenty years between 1862 and 1882, has been in the Graham family since 1624. The family had important connections with the Stuart family; both Charles I and James II stayed here while travelling to Scotland. The house has been much loved and had a great deal of rebuilding and restoration. Many visitors have remarked upon its notably friendly atmosphere which we believe, results from so many years of occupation by the same family.

Charlotte Brontë, Norton Conyers and Jane Eyre

In 1839 Charlotte Brontë visited Norton Conyers and heard the legend of a mad woman confined in the attics in the previous century, it is said to have given her the idea for the mad Mrs Rochester in 'Jane Eyre', and the house's interior gave her many ideas for Mr. Rochester's 'Thornfield Hall'. The discovery in 2004 of a blocked staircase connecting the first floor to the attics and clearly mentioned in the novel, aroused world-wide interest in Norton Conyers and confirmed it as a principal inspiration for 'Thornfield Hall'.

The Garden

Laid out in the mid-18th century, this large and magical walled garden has a central Orangery, an ornamental pond, magnificent herbaceous borders and parkland beyond. A small sales area, specialising in unusual hardy plants, is open during the summer months. PYO fruit, vegetables and seasonal flowers are also for sale.