Milden Hall is a much-loved and lived-in Grade II* Georgianised 16th-century hall farmhouse on a 500-acre environmentally-friendly working farm which the family have farmed for over 200 years – the seventh generation is now apprenticed! 

Research by the family has revealed the the various owners of Milden since Walter the Deacon in the Domesday survey of 1085, and the de Meldyngge family who built the Norman Castle (now Scheduled Ancient Monument earthworks), through wealthy absentee landowners and charitable families to modern day with mysteries, sad tales, strange co-incidences and much-loved characters. Half the Tudor (or earlier) house was re-modelled in the Georgian period with large rooms, cornices, fireplaces, high ceilings and houses collections of ancient Suffolk maps, prints, paintings, books and old postcards. The other half remains late Tudor with tiny rooms, linen-fold panelling, the pantry (stuffed with home-made preserves) and two cellars.

The Tudor Barn

Time and weather-permitting, beyond the farmhouse, the tours include what has been described as one of the finest 16th and 17th century farmyards in the country: aisled barns (one still stores grain, and another provides quirky large group accommodation) and cartlodges with the beginning of a modest farm museum (housing farm-found artefacts from fossils and Stone Age flints to WWII bullets), with talk on bats, beetles, moths and woodlice. Beyond, guests can walk in the walled garden with thatched gazebo, old trees, ancient wildflower meadows and enjoy the hedges and ponds. The Hawkins family are obsessive local historians and conservationists, and inveterate collectors of things, so expect passionate discussion on how to keep history, wildlife and succession going strong!

Tours include seasonal refreshments and sometimes optional lunch, supper (home-grown) and Suffolk wine-tasting.

What a previous Invitation to View guest [back in 2005 when we did it last] said: Your whole approach to life is inspirational – you have done amazing things with Milden Hall and have created an earthly paradise ….

Please note that Milden Hall is NOT in the town of Mildenhall which is 25 miles further north. It is close to Lavenham, Suffolk.

Tickets £20 including coffee and cake on arrival 
OR £50 including an optional two-course lunch with complimentary wine.

Restrictions: no dogs, photography by arrangement only

Visitors' views:

• Thank you for a lovely day at your home and magnificent barn (what a treasure the barn is). My friend and I both thought it was one of the most interesting and enjoyable visits we have done. Thanks again for your hospitality. Fascinating history and family, I loved hearing all about it.
• We had a fantastic morning at Milden Hall. It was informative, interesting and funny. They are a charming couple who know how to keep their guests entertained. It was fascinating to hear about the long history of the family, house and barns. We really enjoyed it and tea and cake was most delicious.

Please see our cancellation policy below:
If you cancel more than two weeks before the tour is scheduled to take place, we will fully refund your ticket money excluding any phone booking fees. If it’s less than 14 days before a tour, for any reason, we regret that we cannot refund your ticket money unless we can resell your ticket(s). If we cancel at any time, we will fully refund your ticket money. Although we make every effort to avoid it, sometimes a tour has to be cancelled at short notice due to circumstances beyond our control. In this case, we cannot accept responsibility for, or refund, any consequential losses, such as money spent on travel or accommodation.