Greenstead Hall near Halstead was built in 1800 for Isaac Emery, who was described as a ‘gentleman’. It was known then as Halstead Lodge. Isaac Emery died shortly after it was built in 1803 and two years later his widow Elizabeth remarried Colonel James Brewster. Elizabeth and James Brewster lived at Halstead Lodge as it was then known until 1836. They had no children, so the house passed to Joseph Nunn Brewster, James’ brother. It was Joseph's son, Major Cardinal Brewster who renamed the house Greenstead Hall in 1863. It is not to be confused with Greenstead Hall in Ongar, with which it did bear some architectural similarities before the latter was altered in 1875.

The Brewsters are described as an 'old Essex/Suffolk family' and presumably were related to William Brewster who sailed to America on the Mayflower as they bore the same coat of arms.

William Brewster the sailor died in 1644. A member of the family built the now demolished Tudor mansion Wrentham Hall in Suffolk and others settled in Hedingham. Robert Allen, a maltster of Sudbury bought Greenstead Hall in 1885. The brewing family owned the house for the duration of the next century and then it was bought by a chartered accountant called Claude Frederick Shoolbred from London in 1906 by auction.

The sale included the mansion house, the park, two farms and in total about 376 acres of land. Claude was the grandson of James Shoolbred who started out life as a draper and then as the owner of a department store selling high quality furniture on the Tottenham Court Road in London. Claude and his wife Eleanor lived at the Hall with their children along with ten staff and a governess which in those days would have been normal for people of their social standing and wealth.

During World War I the family opened up their home as a hospital and it was known as Greenstead Hall Auxiliary Hospital or colloquially as ‘Mrs Shoolbred’s Convalescent Hospital’ run by Eleanor herself and her daughter, Mary as nurse in chief. After the war the Shoolbreds clearly felt like a change of scene and well deserved break hence they retired to Hove on the south coast. Greenstead Hall was then purchased by Thomas and Enid Johnson. In the 1970s Raymond Erith, the famous post War classical architect was commissioned to carry out some alterations at Greenstead Hall.

It was then acquired by the Gay family who were keen horse riders and added the equestrian facilities to the home. The Gays sold the house and 52 acres to Antoine Dixon-Bellot in 2021 who is a property developer, media and film entrepreneur and mentor. Upon acquisition, Antoine conducted a major renovation and refurbishment project at the country estate which included adding significant square footage to the existing footprint. He has now made it one of his family dwellings and also rents it out as a luxury staycation and events venue. 'I feel truly honoured to contribute to the restoration of this beautiful property and to its natural opulence and charm. Greenstead Hall really is my Crown Jewel.'

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