Great Ote Hall

The Architecture of Great Ote Hall

Set within extensive grounds, Great Ote Hall is a distinguished two-storey house with attics, embodying the character and craftsmanship of late Tudor and early Jacobean Sussex. Its walls are constructed in traditional half-timbering set upon sandstone plinths, with later brick infill, while the roofs are covered in locally distinctive Horsham stone slates. Five substantial brick chimney stacks rise prominently above the building, reinforcing its historic presence.

The house is arranged on a T-shaped plan, reflecting its phased development. The earlier section, forming the stem of the T, dates from around 1550, while the more formal east wing, completed in 1600, presents a symmetrical and refined façade characteristic of the period. A later south projection has been added in a sympathetic style.

The south front of the earlier range has undergone considerable restoration, including the addition of a modern entrance annexe. This incorporates a 16th-century doorway, alongside a number of carefully salvaged interior elements—such as overmantels and panelling—brought from destroyed historic buildings in Guildford and Godalming. The original entrance, however, lay further west, aligned with a corresponding doorway in the north wall.

At the heart of the house, the hall retains one of its most striking features: a substantial oak tree trunk rising uninterrupted to attic level, a powerful reminder of the building’s original timber frame construction.
The staircase, now repositioned slightly west of its original location, is a fine example of circa 1600 craftsmanship. It features continuous newels, turned balusters, square finials with pendants, and a beautifully moulded handrail.

Principal Rooms and Interior Features

The present dining room formed the original kitchen of the house. It retains a wide fireplace with an oak lintel and bread oven set within the west wall, alongside original moulded ceiling beams.

The drawing room, historically known as the “Old Hall,” occupies the northern half of the east wing and incorporates the former entrance porch. Its stone fireplace, with a flat four-centred arch, is complemented by an elaborate imported overmantel featuring carved caryatid figures. Original timber elements survive here, including a beam with finely carved stop-chamfers.

The remainder of the east wing is taken up by the “Old Kitchen,” which contains a wide, lintelled fireplace flanked by built-in cupboards. Throughout both phases of the house, the floors are constructed from substantial elm baulks, adding to the building’s authenticity and sense of age.

Upper Rooms

Above the dining room lies the so-called “Queen Elizabeth’s Room,” distinguished by its oriel window. The fireplace, with its chamfered four-centred arch, reflects an earlier style, while later Jacobean panelling has been incorporated above. A particularly fine beam is carved with H-leaf and daisy motifs, showcasing the decorative craftsmanship of the period.

The Withdrawing Room, located above the drawing room, retains much of its original panelling and features a fireplace with characteristic Jacobean composite panels divided by fluted detailing.

Above the Old Kitchen is the State Bedroom, an especially notable chamber. Its fireplace is similar in form to that of the drawing room, while the overmantel displays three scalloped arches separated by fluted pilasters. It is inscribed “Anno G/TM 1609,” commemorating Thomas and Mary Godman, and providing a direct link to the family who shaped the house. An original door survives to the east of the room.

A House of Craftsmanship and Continuity

Throughout Great Ote Hall, the survival of original materials—oak beams, elm floors, carved stonework, and panelling—speaks to a building that has evolved over centuries while retaining its essential character. The combination of structural integrity, decorative detail, and historic adaptation makes it a rare and compelling example of a Sussex manor house.

The History of Great Ote Hall & The Godmans

In the 13th century the estate was held by Richard de Ottehale. In the 14th century it passed into the possession of Richard Kentish, who held court here from 1395 until 1419.

The estate later passed to the Attree family, with John Attree’s first court recorded in February 1438, and it remained in his family for nearly a century. In 1537 Thomas Attree conveyed Ote Hall to Thomas Godman, believed to have been his son-in-law. From that time the estate remained in the Godman family, passing from father to son until 1718 when the male line became extinct and Ote Hall was bequeathed to William Shirley, the son of John Godman’s daughter Elizabeth.

William Shirley later became Governor of the Bahamas, and because of his long absences he conveyed the manor to Francis Warden in 1749 in trust for his family. In his will of 1785 Warden returned Ote Hall to Thomas Shirley, William Shirley’s third son, who was then Governor of the Leeward Islands. His son Sir William Warden Shirley died unmarried in 1816, having sold the manor in 1803 to William Tanner of Moorhouse, who died in 1831.

The estate remained in the Tanner family until 1881, when Jane Tanner sold it to Major-General Richard Temple Godman, bringing the house back into the Godman family. After his death, the house was purchased by Herbert Woods in 1912, who later sold it to Roderick Eustace Enthoven in 1923. Following his death in 1936 the house was once again sold back to the Godman Trustees.

Thomas Godman lived at Great Ote Hall with his wife Valborg, until his untimely death in Malta in 1942 when the ship he was commanding received a direct hit during the war. After being widowed Valborg Godman courageously took over the running of Great Ote Hall Farm, ensuring it continued to operate during the challenges of the Second World War. Balancing wartime agricultural demands with her voluntary work supporting servicemen in London, she embodied resilience and a deep commitment to both the land and the national effort.

Valborg Godman later married Bryant Irvine and continued to live at Great Ote Hall, running the farm until her death in 1990. Bryant Godman Irvine died in 1992.

Sir Bryant Godman Irvine served in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War, before entering public life as Conservative MP for Rye and Bexhill, where he was known for his long-standing commitment to his Sussex constituency. He went on to serve as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

Today Great Ote Hall is occupied by their grandson Matthew Godman Law, who is gradually taking over the reins from their daughter Carola Godman Irvine, who has been managing the Estate since 1992. Carola & Matthew both jointly run the Events & Farming business at Ote Hall.