Peer’s estate is slammed after its Facebook page criticised lockdown as ‘saving the NHS, bankrupting everyone else’ in ill-judged post that was deleted following complaints
- Grade II estate of Lord Somerleyton posted criticism of lockdown on Facebook
- Page criticised shutdown for ‘saving the NHS, bankrupting everyone else’
- Somerleyton Hall is held by hotel owner Hugh Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton
The Suffolk country estate of Lord Somerleyton has come under fire for criticising the lockdown as ‘saving the NHS, bankrupting everyone else’.
A picture of the front exterior of the Grade II-listed hall near Lowestoft was posted to Facebook today with a caption bemoaning the lockdown.
The caption, available from a screenshot of the post that was deleted following complaints, read: ‘Lockdown… saving the NHS bankrupting everyone else… we will be hugely relieved when these fine doors can swing open and welcome you again’.
A picture of the front exterior of the Grade II-listed hall near Lowestoft was posted to Facebook today with a caption which seems to be bemoaning the lockdown
In a statement, a spokesperson for Somerleyton Hall told MailOnline: ‘We would like to apologise unreservedly for any offence we may have caused in relation to an ill judged comment that was made earlier today.
‘The post has since been deleted. The NHS as well as all front line workers are doing the most incredible job in a very difficult time for everyone.’
Hugh Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton
Scientists advising the Government believe that house confinement and social distancing are necessary to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
However, there is concern that the closure of businesses in the service industry, the furloughing of thousands of workers and the recent decision of some companies to make staff redundant – all consequences of the lockdown – are causing the most severe economic crisis since the 1930s Great Depression.
Economists have estimated that the lockdown is costing Britain £2.4billion per day, while a Bank of England official recently warned that the lockdown was causing an economic contraction not felt in the UK in possibly centuries.
The Somerleyton Hall post – uploaded to Facebook some time this afternoon – provoked outrage among social media users claiming to be appalled by its tone. It was subsequently removed.
Lord Somerleyton – hotel owner and restauranteur Hugh Crossley – is believed to be self-isolating at the country estate. He is married to Lara Bailey, with whom he has three children.
Somerleyton Hall is renowned as one of the finest Victorian Stately homes in the UK. It is currently held by Hugh Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton
Somerleyton Hall is renowned as one of the finest Victorian Stately homes in the UK. It is currently held by Mr Crossley, 4th Baron Somerleyton.
The house, set in East Anglia, is normally used for house party weddings, private parties, and holidays. It is closed to the public during the pandemic.
Its formal gardens cover 12 acres and form part of the 5,000-acre estate, while its interior is lined with portraits of the Crossley family.
The Somerleyton estate has been home to powerful figures for almost 900 years, including MP Sir Samuel Morton Peto, according to the Hall’s website.