Holkham Hall

About the museum

Holkham Hall is the home of the Coke family and the centre of the Holkham Estate on the north Norfolk coast. Sir Edward Coke, a leading lawyer, bought the estate in 1609. His descendant Thomas Coke, born in 1697, was sent on a six-year Grand Tour of Europe as a teenager. In Italy he met the architect and designer William Kent, and both were inspired by ancient temples and Palladian villas.

Back in England, Thomas Coke began to build the present hall around 1734, working with Kent, Lord Burlington and Matthew Brettingham. He intended it as a "temple to the arts" for the treasures he had collected abroad. He was made Earl of Leicester in 1744 and died in 1759, and his widow, Lady Margaret, saw the building completed in 1764. The estate also acquired landmarks such as the Obelisk, the Temple and the Triumphal Arch.

His great-nephew Thomas William Coke, known as "Coke of Norfolk", inherited in 1776 and became a famous agricultural reformer. His annual sheep shearings drew farmers from across the country and helped to inspire modern agricultural shows. The hall has been shown to visitors since the eighteenth century, when the housekeeper led tours, and it opened regularly for an admission fee by 1950. It is still privately owned by the Coke family and is one of the Treasure Houses of England. The state rooms hold paintings, sculpture, tapestries and furniture, including the Marble Hall and the Statue Gallery.

Highlights

• Marble Hall with its alabaster walls and dome
• Statue Gallery with Roman sculpture
• Landscape Room with paintings by Claude Lorrain
• Long Library and state bedrooms
• Walled Garden and Holkham Stories exhibition
• Park, lake and nearby beach

Founded

1734

Operated by

Holkham Estate (Coke family)

Admission & discounts

The ticket includes the hall, the Walled Garden and the Holkham Stories exhibition. Parking in Holkham Park costs 6.50 pounds for the day. Visitors arriving on foot, by bicycle or by public transport receive 10 percent off. Historic Houses members enter free (parking still applies), Art Fund members receive 25 percent off and English Heritage members 20 percent off.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The state rooms are reached by a staircase, and a stair-climbing machine is available at the operator's discretion; it may not suit large or powered wheelchairs, in which case visitors are asked to transfer to a wheelchair provided in the hall. An accessible toilet is in the courtyard behind Visitor Reception and in the courtyard between the café and the shop. The Walled Garden is about 1,300 metres from the main car park, and a buggy transfer can be requested. Mobility scooters are free to use in the Walled Garden. Detailed AccessAble guides are available online.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Playground / play area

The estate has a woodland play area, a ropes course, cycle hire and the Holkham Stories exhibition. Group and school visits are available.

Getting there & parking

Holkham is two miles west of Wells-next-the-Sea on the A149. Use postcode NR23 1RH for the north gates on Park Road; coaches use the south gates (NR23 1RU).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Courtyard Café and Courtyard Gift Shop are open daily 10:00 to 17:00. Visitors carrying rucksacks into the hall are asked to hold them in their hands.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

The estate offers venue hire and weddings; the events and weddings teams can be contacted by email.

Plan your visit