In 1766 John Spurrell, the younger son of William Spurrell who built Thurgarton House in 1733, purchased land in neighbouring Bessingham from the Anson family.
The Bessingham estate included farms in Roughton, Billockby and Sidestrand (including Sidestrand Hall, which was sold to Sir Samuel Hoare in 1880) and was eventually broken up and sold in 1970.