The History of South Norfolk's Guest House, Oakbrook House

The building which is now known as the 'Oakbrook House' was purposely built as a school for the Norfolk village of Great Moulton in the mid-1800s. To mark the foundation of the school an Oak tree was planted (hence the name Oakbrook); this tree lasted until 2005 when a rot was discovered in its roots and the tree had to be cut down. The area is surrounded by oak trees and so the name Oakbrook is still relevant to the building today.

In the 1960s the school closed down and was subsequently sold privately to a builder and his wife, who converted it into a private residence under the name of 'The Oaks'. In 1989 an extension was completed, enhancing the size of the property quite significantly.

Oakbrook for the next decade ran partially as a bed and breakfast, whilst large areas of the house were left unoccupied. In 2004 the proprietors decided to sell the property, now a staggering eleven bedrooms in size. A potential buyer was the local council who planned to turn the property into a home for people from troubled backgrounds, after being met with much local opposition, the plan was soon scrapped. By 20th April 2005 the property came under new ownership, and with this came the intent of turning Oakbrook into a guest house, providing accommodation for all!

To show that the property and the business were starting afresh the name was expanded to 'Oakbrook House, South Norfolk's Guest House'. During the following months the property underwent a severe refurbishment programme, an eight man lift was removed to enable access to the downstairs bedrooms. The number of bedrooms was increased to fourteen, with nine made available for paying guests (with ensuite facilities fitted into seven of these rooms).

Today the proprietors have been successful in creating 'South Norfolk's Guest House', providing accommodation for holiday makers enjoying both weekend and mid-week breaks, relatives of local residents and business people seeking refuge from the city at the end of each day. In addition the guest house has received planning permission to provide meals for both residents and non-residents, allowing Oakbrook House to offer evening meals for parties, or a guaranteed meal for residents at the end of each day without having to trail over the Norfolk countryside. We at Oakbrook House, look forward to welcoming you and making your stay as comfortable as possible.