In 1783 Dillingham asked Soane to design new stables at Letton Hall (drawings 1-6). However, persuaded by Soane's alternative proposals for a completely new house (see drawings 7-17) he agreed to this more ambitious project and by early 1785, Soane had finalised the design (see 'as executed' drawing 10 and also drawings 18-19). An office set of working drawings - plans and elevations - is dated July 1785 (see drawings 20-29). Designs and details for the exterior (drawings 30-33) and interior (34-55) followed. From early 1786, designs were made for the offices (drawings 56-62) and alternative designs for the stables differing from those first made in 1783 were also made (drawings 63-5). Designs for miscellaneous items such as a 'curtain lath', a glazed door and a pedestal as well as for the drains to the offices and stables are dated from 1787 to 1789 (see drawings 66-70).  

Twenty one of the drawings have an inscription on the verso in a large bold hand that does not appear on any of the rectos of the drawings and is attributed to a 'clerk ?'  The same drawings have three old crease marks and it is likely that these were folded to fit one of the travelling boxes that Soane took on site. One of these, marked with the initials 'JS' survives, measuring 275x118x88mm, however, it would have been too small for the drawings that average (when folded) 300x180mm.  The later inscribing hand of George Bailey (curator 1837-60) also appears on the rectos of many of the drawings adding titles such as 'Letton Hall' or 'B.G.Dillingham Esq^re' and have generally been omitted.

MS records show that Soane was still making site visits to Letton up to June 1792, thus enjoying a cordial business relationship with his client for more than nine years.  

Dillingham Brampton Gurdon Dillingham, added 'Dillingham' so as to conform with the terms of his maternal grandfather's will.  Letton Hall, near Shipdham, Thetford, was inherited from his father Thornhagh Brampton Gurdon in 1783. The 'family came into England with the Conqueror' (Burke's Peerage ..., 92nd ed., 1934).  Dillingham died in 1820 and was succeeded by his son Theophilus Thornhagh Gurdon. 

The selected design was built of white brick with Portland stone dressings.  The segmental Doric porch was later replaced by a two-storey addition.  Despite this and other nineteenth-century alterations, the estate buildings as a whole are intact and the interior is largely original.  Since 1980, Letton Hall has been run as a Conference and Activities Centre and latterly as a Christian Conference Centre.

The  Gurdon Papers (compiled by Sir Brampton Gurdon and transcribed by Lord Cramworth, a Gurdon descendant, from the Gurdon papers in his possession, copy in SM green box files) show that between 11 July 1783 and 12 June 1792, Soane made 38 'journeys' to Letton Hall.

On 18 January 1785, Soane left '2 setts of fair plans on six Sheets of Paper', on 13 February 1786 he was 'Making designs for the Offices', 15 February, 'd[itt]o another design', 25 February 'Making a fair draw[ing] of Offices'.  On 30 March 1787, there was 'Delivered to Mr Dillingham in Jermyn Street plan of Stables for digger', on 7 June 'Sent a drawing for Fence & Park Gate', 27 August 'Drawings of Curtain Laths for the circular headed windows', on 5 November 'Drawings of finishings of the brewhouse' were followed on 7 January 1788 by 'a drawing of the finishings of the Brewhouse for the Workmen'.   A 'fair Drawing of Sideboard on a sheet of paper' was sent by post on 11 June 1788.  

On 16 April 1792 Soane made a site visit to 'settle Offices, making several fair plans and also plans and directions for the Workmen' and on 12 June of that year he 'survey[ed] the Alterations to the Offices'.  This seems to have been the last site visit.

A summary of expenses shows that, in all, Soane charged two guineas a time for his 38 site visits  and there were four site visits by 'Clerks to assist in measuring'.  The 'Clerks time in making various fair drawings of designs not executed ' was 47 days charged for at five shillings a day.  'For making the several Designs execu[te]d making Drawings at large for the Workmen & for direct[in]g the Works from time to time - 5 p[e]r Cent on the Am[oun]t of the tradesmens Bills & the estim[ate]d Value of old Mat[eria]ls used £6000' [total of] £402:9:6' (Gurdon Papers, op.cit).

There are in the Soane Museum Note Books 8-14, 19 that relate to Letton.  Similarly,  SM 'Journal /1787/N^o 1' has entries for Letton Hall from 11 July 1783 to 7 April 1792, pp.9-15, and May 1792 to 22 May 1793, p.59 that are similar but not identical with account given in the Gurdon Papers.  'Bill / Book 1 - Journal 1 / 1786 / 87 / 88' has the building accounts for: ironmongery &c dated 21 August and 9 December 1786 (p.58);  carpenters work by Thomas Dove dated 12 December 1788, bricklayers work by Thomas Butcher dated 19 December 1788, plasterers work by James Wilkins, undated, painters work by Daniel Coppin, undated, masons work by J.Decarle, undated - total of £1065.8.10¼ (pp.83-108) and further bricklayers work by the same tradesmen dated December 1789 for daywork from 10 March 1788 to 3 November 1789 - total of £985.9.3½ (pp.169-178).

MS indexes to the Note Books, Bill Books and Journals are currently only available for study at the Soane Museum.  There are plans to put these online.

Soane published designs for Letton Hall in his Plans, elevations and sections of buildings executed in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk ..., 1788 (i.e.1789) plates 7-11.  Plate 7 (elevation) relates principally to drawing 19, plate 8 to drawings 10, 10a, 10b, plate 9 (bed chamber plan) to drawing 18, plate 11 to drawing 5. There are no drawings that relate to plate 10 and perhaps it relates to the missing design 2 of Soane's alternative designs designated by him as designs 1, 3, 4 and 'as executed'.

Literature. P.du Prey, John Soane: the making of an architect, 1982, pp.282-288; D.Stroud, Sir John Soane, architect, 2nd ed., 1996, pp.120-1, 241; P.Dean, Sir John Soane and the country estate, 1999, pp.166-7

10a & b Record copies of Plan of the Principal Floor of Letton Hall; Elevation of the Principal Front of Letton Hall to a larger scale but the same design as drawing 10 - 'Front N^o 1'

12 Principal Floor of Letton Hall / Design N^o 3

13 Plan of the Garrets and Plan of the Bedchambers &c

14 Later record copies of Plan of the Basement Floor and Plan of the Principal Floor

17 Copy of ground floor plan and three elevations of a two-storey house with attic and basement, three-bay back and front elevations, with a Diocletian window above the back bow and Wyatt windows to ground floor back and front

19 Elevation of the Entrance Front with the Alterations and with sketch details of cornice and of corners

36a Copy of plan and two laid-out Section(s) showing a stretched elliptical hall with a geometrical stair

37 Copy of Longitudinal Section with skylight

38 Copy of details of cornice and quarter-full size details of Greek fret Soffite under the Flat to Skylight 

39 Copy of details of Patera (with triple flower motif framed by bayleaf drops and ribboned bow) in Circular Recess and of Entablature (in Circular Recess) to Door

40 Copy of details of Mouldings immediately under the Skylight including reed and ribbon moulding

45 Plan and laid-out elevations for the Breakfast Room at Letton with Mouldings for Pannels of / doors in Hall & / breakfasting Room & also / for the fronts of the / front Shutters; (verso) partly erased detail of  (illegible) ------ ------ Moldings / to Breakfast Room

46 Elevation and full size details of Chimney piece for the Breakfasting Parlor

54 (lower part of sheet)  M^r Dillinghams Dressing Room - 12' 3" high, details of Entablature - 1/3 Size / Soffite of the Corona the same as in the / Cornice to the small Rooms at / Tendring Hall // Doors - 7'0" high & 3'4" broad / Architrave to Doors & Windows / the same as M^r Rowleys Dress^g / Room. / Height of floor to top of Surbase / 2^ft 6^ins, details of Base & Surbase Mold^gs / 1/3 Size and details of Front Shutter 1½ thick / Doors 2" thick / Moldings on doors / and Shutters of M^r D's Dress^g room and Mold^gs on Doors / & Shutters of / Chamber floor / drawn to ½ Size

55 Breakfast Room / details of Mouldings for Pannels of / Doors in Hall & Breakfasting / Room & also for the fronts / of the front Shutters / full size // Windows and Door Architraves / like those in Hall / Shutters for ⁱⁿ this & the Chamber / Story to be prepared for / hanging in two heights / Base & Surbase like the Library / Cornice like M^r Windhams / Impost in Banquett^g Room / Frame to Cieling like Adm^l Rowleys / Room /// Hall / Base like that in the Vestibule at Tendring Hall / Entablature like M^r Rix Center Room South Front and detail of Architrave to Doors / and Windows / ½ Size /// Library / Cornice like M^r Branthwayt's Eating Room (pencil amendment) Drawing Room / Base & Surbase like Admiral Rowleys Room / Architrave to Doors and Windows like d^o / Door and Shutter Pannels like M^r Branthwaytes Eating Room / Frame to Cieling like Admiral Rowleys Room /// Chamber / Cornice like M^r Goochs Library

John McDonnell (1770-    ,pupil 18 March 1786-1791)

57 Unfinished plan (copied from drawing 1) and elevation showing the detached laundry/bakehouse/brewhouse building as two-storeyed

58 Elevations of five-bay, two-storey and of two-bay single storey offices

59 Plan of kitchen court and and detached laundry/bakehouse/brewhouse with a block plan of the kitchen offices, and elevations

60 Plan of the kitchen offices, unfinished (pencil) Plan of the Chambers over the Kitchen Offices and Elevation of the Offices next the Kitchen Court, Elevation of part of the Entrance front of the House (verso) rough pencil plans and elevation for offices (by Soane)

61 Plan and three elevations (verso) elevations of stables, quite close to as executed

62 Plan and three elevations of kitchen and other offices, a reduced copy of drawing 61 but with sketch (pencil) drainage added to the plan (probably by Soane)

67 Plan of Drains &c to Letton Hall

68  Record copy of elevation for a glazed door, and detail for a Bar at full size

69 Record copy of plan and elevation of Pedestal for Lamp to Staircase at / Letton Hall

70 Record copy of full size details for pedestal