We are closed to the public while the house undergoes restoration and the garden is reimagined, but we welcome enquiries via our contacts page regarding group visits, events, and venue hire

Benton End house and gardens in Hadleigh, Suffolk is the former home of celebrated artist and gardener Sir Cedric Morris (1889 – 1982) and artist, Arthur Lett-Haines, known as Lett, (1894–1978); lifelong partners, they met on Armistice Night in 1918.

Together they ran the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing – a sanctuary for a diverse range of influential artists, writers, musicians, and botanists of the 20th century. Lucian Freud and Maggi Hambling were among their students. Vita Sackville-West, Beth Chatto, Paul and John Nash, Elizabeth David, Constance Spry and Benjamin Britten all frequented the house.

In 2021 Benton End was majority gifted to the Garden Museum by The Pinchbeck Charitable Trust with the aim of reopening the house and garden to the public once again.  Work to preserve the house and garden is ongoing, ensuring that the rich history of Benton End is not forgotten.  This is an ambitious project and we anticipate the first phase will be the re-opening of the walled garden in 2026. We are now developing our plans for the house with the support of a specialist advisory panel, and  James Horner, the recently-appointed Head Gardener began his work in early 2023. 

Benton End will be revived as a place of art and horticulture, learning and friendship. 

Main image courtesy of Twig O’Malley
Photos: Matt Collins (L) & Lucy Skellorn (R)
Text courtesy of Lucy Skellorn