Suckling House and Stuart Hall

Location

St Andrews Street, Norwich, NR2 4AD

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About

There is evidence of ownership and occupation of this site from 1285. The oldest surviving parts of the building date from the 14th century and include the most impressive survival: the timber-framed great hall with its crown-post timber roof. The building was named after Robert Suckling, who owned it in the 16th century.

Suckling House was last used as a private residence in 1915. In 1916 it was purchased by the Norfolk News Company. In 1923, Ethel and Helen Colman bought the building in memory of their sister Laura Stuart. They appointed architect Edward Boardman, their brother-in-law, to restore and develop the site. A new brick extension, named Stuart Hall, was fitted with a projector and intended for use as a public hall. In 1925 the sisters presented Suckling House and Stuart Hall to the City of Norwich. The building has been used as a cinema since the 1970s.