This classic Palladian mansion, based on designs by William Kent, was built in the mid 1700s by Thomas Coke, the 1st Earl of Leicester and is home to his descendants. Built from local yellow brick, with its pedimented portico, square corner towers and side wings, it has been little altered over the years.
“The Marble Hall” is a spectacular introduction to this vast and imposing house with its 50ft pressed plaster dome ceiling and walls of English alabaster, (not marble as its name implies). Stairs from the Marble Hall lead to magnificent state rooms with superb collections of ancient statuary, fine furniture, tapestries and paintings by Gainsborough, Van Dyck, Rubens, Claude Lorraine and Gaspar Poussin.
The Bygones Museum, housed in the Hall’s original stables block, has more than 4,000 items of domestic and agricultural memorabilia on display, ranging from working steam engines, vintage cars and tractors to gramophones, craft tools and kitchenware. The adjacent History of Farming Exhibition, occupying the former brew house and malt house, is aimed to help understand how a great Estate such as Holkham works and evolves.
The Pottery Shop in the Park offers a wide range of pottery manufactured on the Estate for over 50 years, along with other quality gifts and souvenirs. Whilst The Stables Café tempts visitors with a range of mouth-watering, delicious, local produce.
Holkham Nursery Gardens occupy the former 19th Century walled, kitchen gardens to the Hall and include a fig and peach house recently restored.
Set in a 3,000 acre park with herd of 800 fallow deer and mile-long lake, visitors can explore the park with designated walks, a nature trail and quiz, or enjoy boat trips on the lake in the summer months
Winner of the 2005 Enjoy England Excellence Gold Award for “Best Small Visitor Attraction”, Holkham is indeed much more than a stately home.
Opening Times
HALL
15 – 17 Apr
29, 30 Apr & 1 May
27 – 29 May
26 – 28 Aug
12noon – 5pm
4 – 26 May (Daily except Tue & Wed)
2pm prompt. Audio Tour on a “turn up and join in” basis (max 50 people)
1 Jun – 30 Sept
Daily except Tue & Wed
1 – 5pm*
Last admissions 4.30pm
The Libraries & Stranger’s Wing form part of the private accommodation and are open at the family’s discretion
BYGONES MUSEUM
15 – 17 Apr,
29, 30 Apr & 1 May
27 – 29 May
26 – 28 Aug
12noon – 5pm*
4 May – 30 Sept
Daily except Tue & Wed
12noon – 5pm
Last admissions 4.30pm
Admission
HALL ONLY
Adult £6.50, Child (5-16 inc.) £3.25
BYGONES MUSEUM ONLY
Adult £5.00, Child (5-16inc) £2.50
HALL & BYGONES MUSEUM
Adult £10.00, Child (5-16inc) £5.00
Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) £25.00
Private Guided Tours £14 per person (Min group size 12)
