Talented artist was king of his own castle

March 25, 2004

LADBROKE PLACE
(Kett’s Hill)

WHAT a talent! John Berney Ladbroke was the artist who built Ketts Castle Villa for his retirement and he was inspired by the views from the tower.

Cottage In A Wooded Landscape by John Berney Ladbroke, who was an artist of the Norwich School.

He became so famous in the area that the lane known by generations of children as “Corkscrew Alley” was called Ladbroke Place.

John was a member of a great family of painters, members of the Norwich School, whose work became sought after across the land.

His father Robert Ladbroke (1769-1842) was recognised as the co- founder of the Norwich Society with John Crome (1768-1821).

Ladbroke was a much more shadowy figure than Crome. They became friends and they married the Berney sisters.

Then they fell out. Ladbroke lost two wives and became something of a recluse.

One of his sons was John Berney Ladbroke who became a prolific and popular painter. He went to Norwich Grammar School. Both his father and his uncle Crome taught him to paint.

As well as advertising himself as a landscape painter and drawing master, he offered tuition in lithography and helped his father with his massive project to depict all 700 Norfolk churches.

He loved the Norfolk countryside and at his peak, outshone his father with some grand paintings.

His retirement home was built on a piece of land he had bought by Mousehold in 1857.

He designed it himself and made sure his personal monogram was dotted around the place. He died in 1879.

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