Westhorpe
Parish Council
Parish Council
Parish Council
In 1515, Charles Brandon secretly married Mary Tudor, the widowed Queen of France and sister of Henry VIII, without the King’s permission. After apologising and regaining Henry’s favour, they returned to England and held a public wedding.
Soon after, Brandon built Westhorpe Hall as their main residence. The grand moated Tudor house had a large courtyard, gatehouse, chapel, decorated rooms, gardens, and deer parks.
Mary spent much of her later life at Westhorpe due to poor health and her disapproval of Henry VIII’s relationship with Anne Boleyn. She was close friends with Catherine of Aragon and sympathised with her during Henry’s attempt to replace her. Despite living away from court, Mary remained popular locally and regularly attended events such as the Easter fair at Bury St Edmunds.
Mary died at Westhorpe in 1533, after a long illness of unknown cause. She lay in state at the Hall before being buried at the Abbey Church in Bury St Edmunds.
After Brandon’s death in 1545, the estate eventually passed to the Crown and later owners. Westhorpe Hall was demolished in the 1760s, although parts of it—such as the original bridge and decorative terracotta panels—still survive at the site today.
Westhorpe Village Hall is a newly built modern Hall which is available to hire for small groups, private functions and exercise classes. A number of social events are held at the Hall throughout the year. Find out more about the latest village news and events.
St Margaret’s Church is the parish church of Westhorpe, located on the village’s main road. It belongs to the Badwell and Walsham Benefice, a group of six churches that includes those in Walsham le Willows, Badwell Ash, Finningham, Langham, Wattisfield, and Westhorpe.
