Holkham Hall

Holkham Hall is an 18th-century Palladian country house and estate on the north Norfolk coast in England, built for Thomas Coke and noted for its classical architecture and extensive parkland. The house and grounds form one of the major surviving English country estates of the Georgian period.

The interior contains formal state rooms, a long library and large central spaces that reflect Palladian design principles; the house is open to visitors seasonally. Parkland, lakes and formal gardens extend from the house and link the estate to an extensive coastal frontage at Holkham Beach.

Construction of the present house took place in the 18th century, with key building work occurring from the 1730s into the 1760s under architects and designers influenced by Palladianism. The estate has been maintained and presented as an historic house with public access to parts of the house and grounds.

Holkham Hall lies near the village of Holkham and the coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea in north Norfolk, west of King’s Lynn, and is reached via local roads from the surrounding towns.

• Construction period: Construction took place in the 18th century, with major building phases from the 1730s to the 1760s under the patronage of Thomas Coke.
• Visitor access: The estate offers public tours of the house and walks across the parkland to the nearby Holkham Beach on the north Norfolk coast.

What to See #

• The Hall and state rooms: The main house contains the Great Hall, long gallery and state rooms arranged in Palladian fashion and open to public tours.
• Park, lake and beach: Parkland stretches from the house across lakes and avenues to Holkham Beach, providing a combined landscape and coastal estate.