Holkham Hall and Bygones Museum |
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Holkham Hall, home of the Coke family and the Earls of Leicester, was built between 1734 and 1764 by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester.
This Palladian style mansion reflects Thomas Coke's appreciation of classical art developed during his 'Grand Tour' of Europe which lasted 6 years and from which he returned in the spring of 1718. He was 21 in June of that year and married Lady Margaret Tufton in July.
He had made numerous purchases on his journey; valuable and unique manuscripts and printed books, great works of art and statuary. Heir to a great estate and fortune, he began to consider how and where this collection should be housed and displayed. During his
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The house today is little altered from the original structure. The vestibule on the north side of the house and the terraced gardens to the South were built during the 1850s by the 2nd Earl. Perhaps the most pleasing contribution of the great 18th Century estates to the English Landscape was the parks their owners created around their great houses, and Holkham is no exception.
Great houses need parks to show them off to their best effect. The first impression made upon the visitor was very important and the drive to the house was a carefully planned feature of any park.
The splendid buildings of the stables were erected in the 1860s to accommodate the carriages, carriage horses and riding horses of visitors to the Hall, but with the arrival of the motor car, they gradually fell into disuse.
In 1979 they
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This now forms the nucleus of a museum with thousands of exhibits from times gone by. Immediately opposite the entrance to the Bygones Collection is the fascinating 'History of Farming Exhibition'. The Coke family was in the forefront of the Agricultural Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries and the exhibition includes visual and audio illustrations of the influence of 'Coke of Norfolk'.
General Information:
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More Pictures (Click Photos for Gallery) |
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Opening Times
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(2010 times)
1st April - 31st October:Hall: Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays 12.00pm - 4.00pm. Bygones Museum, History of Farming Exhibition, Gift Shop and Stables Cafe: Daily 10.00am - 5.00pm. Walled Gardens: Daily 12.00pm - 4.00pm. |
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Admission Charges
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(2010 prices)
Hall & Museum: Adult £11.00; Child £5.50; Family (2 + 2) £27.00. Hall Only: Adult £9.00; Child £4.00. Museum Only: Adult £4.00; Child £2.00. History of Farming Exhibition Free. |
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Directions
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| Holkham is two miles west of Wells-next-the-Sea on the main A149, within easy reach of Norwich on the A1067, King's Lynn on the A148 and London and Cambridge from the M11 and the A10. |
| Show map of Holkham Hall and Bygones Museum... |
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Holkham Hall and Bygones Museum Postcode for SatNav: NR23 1AB |
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Nearby Attractions
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Shirehall Museum
(4 Miles)*
Walsingham Shirehall was built in the early 16th century and was used as a hostel for important visitors to the adjacent Augustinian Priory. It now houses a hands-on museum about Walsingham. |
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RSPB Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve
(6 Miles)*
Titchwell Marsh is, not surprisingly, one of The RSPB's most popular reserves from sandy beaches to lagoons and reedbeds - it's all here! See the magnificent Marsh Harriers soar overhead! Something for everyone. Don't miss our Guided Walks! |
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Thursford Collection
(8 Miles)*
Thursford Collection is open as a working museum from Good Friday to end September, (closed Saturdays) when all our mechanical organs are played and shows are given on the Wurlitzer by Robert Wolfe. |
| more attractions in Holkham and things to do in Holkham ... |
| more things to do in Norfolk and days out in Norfolk... |
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Nearby Hotels
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Nearby Self Catering
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National Trust | Estate Agents |
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