Sprowston Manor Hotel is a ''AA 4 star'' hotel, part of which is the 19th-century Sprowston Hall. It is located on the north east suburbs, of the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

city of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

, close to the suburb of

Sprowston Sprowston ( or ) is a town and civil parish in the Broadland district of Norfolk, England. It is bounded by Heartsease to the east, Mousehold Heath and the suburb of New Sprowston to the south, Old Catton to the west, and by the open farmland ...

and village of

Rackheath Rackheath is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, and is roughly north-east of Norwich city centre. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,551 in 625 households at the 2001 census, increasing to a population ...

, within the county of

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

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.County A to Z Atlas, Street & Road maps Norfolk,

Location

The hotel is situated within 170 aces of parkland. It is north east of the centre of the city of Norwich and is from

Norwich railway station Norwich railway station (formerly Norwich Thorpe) is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England, serving the cathedral city of Norwich, Norfolk. It is down the main line (measured via Ipswich) from London ...

. The nearest airport is in

and is west of the hotel.''OS Explorer Map 24 - Norfolk Coast Central''. .

History

Sprowston Hall was purchased by John Corbet II formerly belonging to the Bishop of Norwich, for £176 in 1540. On the death of John Corbet II in 1559 the manor of Sprowston was left to his wife Jane. It was sold to Sir Thomas Adams, who was

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

in 1645. In the 18th century the manor was acquired by Sir Lambert Blackwell, a governor of the

South Sea Company The South Sea Company (officially: The Governor and Company of the merchants of Great Britain, trading to the South Seas and other parts of America and for the encouragement of the Fishery) was a British joint-stock company founded in Ja ...

, who was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1718. In the 19th century the manor went through a number of families until it came into the hands of the Gurney family and John Gurney, who was mayor of Norwich and blind, rebuilt the hall between 1872 and 1876. The hall is constructed in three storeys of red brick. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the hall was commandeered by the military for use by the GOC Eastern Command.Norfolk Heritage-Sprowston Manor
/ref>''The history and antiquities of the city of Norwich'' By Charles Parkin

Hotel

The manor house underwent major redevelopment in 1973, when it was converted to a Marriott hotel. The hotel has a total of 94 en- suite rooms of which 19 are suites. Part of the hotels 170 acre parkland is an 18-hole championship golf course. There is also an indoor swimming pool and spa. The hotel has 12 meeting rooms and frequently hosts conferences, banquets, exhibitions and is used as a wedding venue. Sprowston Manor is also home to the 1559 Restaurant which is located in the oldest part of the building, and also Cafe, Bar and Grill. The hotel was originally operated by

Marriott Hotels & Resorts Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's brand of full-service hotels and resorts based in Bethesda, Maryland. As of June 30, 2020, there were 582 hotels and resorts with 205,053 rooms operating under the brand, in addition to 160 ...

until March 2018 when it was taken over by

Britannia Hotels Britannia Hotels is a British budget hotel group with 64 hotels in Great Britain. The company also owns the Pontins Holiday Parks. Since 2010 Britannia Hotels has been a subject of criticism over the hygiene and maintenance of its locations; co ...

. This was along with 5 other Marriott hotels across the UK. The hotel is approached along an oak lined driveway. Features of the original manor house include high ceilings and oak paneling to some of the rooms.

Championship golf course

The golf course at Sprowston Manor replaced the hotel's original layout in 2003, incorporating an additional 20 hectares to produce a course measuring 6500 yards, with a par of 71 and including 70

bunkers A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

.Sprowston Manor, Norwich - 12 August 2008 - Associate Membership Programme - English Golf Union
/ref>

References

{{reflist Golf clubs and courses in Norfolk Hotel spas Hotels in Norfolk Country houses in Norfolk Hotels established in 1973 Sports venues in Norfolk Country house hotels