About Us

Although no records exist to determine the earliest period in history when a building of any significance was established in the Manor of Bourn Hall (Wherstead), Rear Admiral Ellis Brand purchased a property in 1714 for £460.

Brand then set about rebuilding the property which is still in existence. 'The Mansion' as it is now known was purchased by the  Harland family in 1791 and substantially extended by Sir Robert Harland.

Although ownership has changed many times since, the property remains largely the same today as it was originally in the early 1800s. 

The Stable Block
The clock in the central turret can be dated with reasonable accuracy to the late 1600s and it is thought likely to have been a feature of the original west gate of Ipswich, and relocated to the stable block after the old gate was demolished.

In the 20th Century
In the early years of the 20th Century a large part of The Mansion was converted into a convalescent hospital for injured soldiers returning from the Great War. From 1939 to 1945 the house and stables were occupied by the army and used as a billet for soldiers.

In 1948 the Wherstead Park estate was purchased by Eastern Electricity who carefully preserved and maintained the fine historical country house and its landscaped grounds; restored and renovated the stable block whilst continuing to build and develop the site into a multi-purpose centre.

The 21st Century and a new beginning
The East of England Co-operative Society - East Anglia's largest independent retailer, employing more than 5,000 people throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex - acquired this prestigious property in 2008.

As well as being the Society's new headquarters Wherstead Park provides unprecedented opportunities for other businesses to occupy well appointed office space in what is recognised as one of the finest business addresses in the region.