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British Place Names

Sawston Hall is a Tudor manor house in Sawston, Cambridgeshire. In 1553 Mary Tudor (soon to be Mary I of England) stayed here during her flight from imprisonment by the Duke of Northumberland on the the death of Edward VI. Soldiers followed her to Sawston and set fire to the Hall. She is said to have escaped the burning building disguised as a milkmaid. When Mary became Queen she helped with the rebuilding of the Hall, which was carried out by Sir John Huddleston and his son Sir Edmund between 1557 and 1584. During the re-building Mary died and was succeeded by Elizabeth I. This resulted in the construction of a number of priest holes in the building, allowing the Huddleston family to continue their practice of the Catholic faith. The priest's hole at the top of the spiral staircase at Sawston Hall is noted as one of the finest examples in the country. During the Second World War the Hall was the headquarters of the 66th Fighter Wing, part of the USAAF Eighth Air Force. An air raid shelter still remains in the grounds, and on the top floor war-time graffiti still adorns the walls. In 1982 the Huddleston family sold the hall which became a language school until it was purchased in 2010. It is now a private residence. It has many fine features, such as the magnificent Great Hall complete with Elizabethan panelling and a large Tudor fireplace. The house also has its own panelled private chapel which has an 18th-century decorated plaster ceiling and wonderful stained glass windows. The 60 acre grounds include a half-moat, woodland walks, landscaped gardens, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The SSSI is known for the rare Cambridge Milk Parsley plant. Sawston Hall was the location used for the 1971 film 'The Nightcomers'. It is within the council area of South Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire).
Historic England Grade I Listed 1330979.

Place Type: Tudor House
Historic County: Cambridgeshire
Lat, Long: 52.120516,0.17260232
Grid Reference: TL 4884 4913
Civil Parish: Sawston CP
Council Area: South Cambridgeshire CA (Cambridgeshire CA)
Strategic Authority Area: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough SA
Police Area: Cambridgeshire PA

GBPN ID: 304277
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Sawston_Hall,_Cambridgeshire_304277

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