NOSTALGIA: Boxsted Hall - from the Spanton Jarman collection

Situated in 200 acres of parkland and woodland and surrounded by a moat, Boxted Hall has been in the ownership of the same family since the 14th century, though the date of this picture is unknown.

Twenty-four generations of the Poley family have resided there since it was built. Elizabeth Poley was the heiress to the hall when she married Robert Weller of Kent in 1704 and the family took the name of Weller-Poley.

-- This picture is part of a remarkable collection of 4,000 photographs in the care of Bury St Edmunds Past and Present Society which offers a glimpse into the town’s history.

Taken by two families of professional photographers, the Spantons and the Jarmans, the images span a period from the 1860s through to the outbreak of World War Two. The fragile glass plate negatives were donated to the society in 1997 and in recent years many of these have been ‘digitised’ thanks to a Lottery grant and donations - a further £2,000 is needed to complete the task. They can be viewed at www.burypastandpresent.org.uk where you can also find details about membership and the group’s programme of events and lectures. The Spanton-Jarman collection is held at the Bury St Edmunds branch of the Suffolk Record Office. For more details about the Record Office, including its programme of talks and courses, visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/sro.