Wattisham Hall is early 17th century however it is surrounded by a roughly circular medieval moat probably of 12th or 13th century.

The house-moat lies within a larger rectangular enclosure which also surrounds the parish church and two other medieval barns. This complex of house-moat-church and barnyards is one of the most interesting and best preserved medieval manor sites in Suffolk.

The site was originally the seat of a family of knights who took the surname ‘de Wachesham’ first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Some of this site was given by the King, by the extraordinary service of making ‘unum saltum, siffletum et pettum’: a jump, belch and fart before him!

After passing through many families through the centuries, the farm was bought by Taylor Knock in the 1930’s and has been in the family ever since, with brothers Jeremy and Simon Squirrell being the fourth generation farming the land.

Whilst Jack & Kathleen Knock were living at Wattisham Hall, during World War II, a plane crashed into Wattisham Hall killing a maid and a baby. The American Lightning P38 J was based at Wattisham Airfield and was circling to land after encountering problems but didn’t make it back. The South wing of the house was totally destroyed with the chimney stack the only object that stopped the plane destroying the whole house. A new south wing was eventually rebuilt in 1945.   

Jeremy & Jo Squirrell have lived at Wattisham Hall since 1997 and have brought up their daughters Katie and Charlotte there.