The Gooch family of Benacre Estate - A brief history

The Gooch family has long been established in north Suffolk, originally living principally in Mettingham.  In 1743 Thomas Gooch, later the third Baronet, purchased the Benacre Estate, which has since descended in a direct line to the present day.

A country estate is a unique kaleidoscope of all walks of life and landscapes. Each has its own nature, structure and pressures, and Benacre is certainly no different. Almost the country’s most easterly point, The Estate is constantly being ravaged by the unrelenting erosive power of the North Sea. It is in an area of breathtaking beauty with a wide range of habitats ranging from farmland to heathland and from woodland to beach, as well as a number of attractive traditional buildings, many of which are thatched. It creates a fascinating example of England’s countryside at its diverse best and part of the Estate has been internationally recognised as an area of special conservation value. The Benacre Estate is a traditional mixed farming estate situated on the Suffolk Heritage Coast between Lowestoft and Southwold. The majority of the Estate lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and has just under 3½ miles of coastline

Lady Gooch and her daughters, Lucinda and Victoria, own and run the Estate today. They are directly descended from Sir Thomas Gooch and although there have been many changes in the world over the last 280 years many of the traditions on the Estate remain the same, maintaining a wealth of activities both traditional and modern. These include property maintenance, hot house fruit and flower growing. thatching, reed cutting, film making and modern farming. Many of the barns and buildings are still in use today including Wood Farm Barn. The Benacre Estate now consists of over 7,000 acres located along the east heritage coast of Suffolk from South Kessingland to Easton just above the Victorian seaside resort of Southwold.’