Now it is back to its former glory. What a story it has to tell and not just about bricks and mortar.
A new book called Bylaugh Hall, Norfolk: The Rise, the Fall and the Rise Again of the Stately Home that Nobody Wanted also illustrates the life and times for the landed gentry across the county in days gone by.
Investigating the complex history of the hall and estate takes time but what is just what Norwich bookseller, historian and author David Clarke had during the days of lockdown.
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And what a tale he discovered about this grand mansion and vast estate, and how it has survived and flourished against all the odds.
It is the kind of story which today would make a film or a TV series in the 21st century.
The 600-acre estate in the heart of the county was won in a game of cards.
The owner wanted a grand house but died before a brick was laid…the highs and lows of what........