Ketteringham Hall

Ketteringham Hall was the HQ of the Team Lotus Formula 1 team from 1976 when they relocated from the Lotus Cars Hethel site

Ketteringham Hall is located in Ketteringham, Wymondham and is only 6.5 miles from the Lotus factory in Hethel

Colin Chapman acquired Ketteringham Hall in 1970, after moving the Lotus Factory from Cheshunt to Hethel in 1966

Ketteringham Hall was built in the late 15th century by Sir Henry Grey
It had to be rebuilt because of a fire in the early 1800s and in 1836 it was acquired by Sir John Peter Boileau and the Boileau family lived there until 1948

During the Second World War, Ketteringham Hall was used by the 2nd Air Division of the USAAF (United States Air Force) as the Second Air Division Headquarters from December 1943 to June 1945

Between 300 and 400 personnel occupied Nissen huts built near to the Hall, where the woodlands are now located

Ketteringham Hall was sold to the Duke of Westminster in 1948 and became a preparatory school and was sold to Badingham College in 1965

Ketteringham Hall is now used as offices and as a wedding venue and has various facilities, including offices, crèche and nursery, a cricket club and the Orangery Tea Rooms

Below, on the left a young Mr da Silva is visiting the grounds from Brazil in the 1980s and on the right he has brought his car... Ayrton Senna da Silva with the Lotus 97T Grand Prix

This french video features the work of Gérard Ducarouge, who joined Team Lotus in 1983 and was the guiding hand behind the designs of the JPS Lotus turbocharged era

In 1984 Elio de Angelis and Nigel Mansel drove the Lotus 95T and in 1985 and 1986 Ayrton Senna drove the Lotus 97T and 98T to seven victories

Ketteringham Hall was often used as the natural backdrop for the launch of a new Grand Prix car

Here Nigel Mansel and Elio de Angelis stand with Colin Chapman and the Lotus 87 at Ketteringham Hall

Here are some Getty images of Team Lotus halcyon days at Ketteringham Hall in 1978, where mechanics are working on the all conquering and ground breaking Lotus 79

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Top Gear filmed at Ketteringham Hall and on the Hethel test track recently with the Lotus 79

Chris Harris stands with "Black Beauty", as the Type 79 is known, and the gorgeous photo below makes use of the perfect location

Ketteringham Hall was also the location for marketing adverts, as below, and on the right for the shots for the first Lotus Certificate of Provenance, with Colin Chapman’s last ‘company car’ a gorgeous 1981 Turbo Esprit