An introduction to Holkham Estate

THE COKE FAMILY

Sir Edward CokeLord Chief Justice and founder of family fortune. (1552-1634)

Thomas Coke 1st Earl of Leicester, builder of Holkham Hall and art collector.

(1697-1759)

Thomas CokeCurrent and 8th Earl of Leicester, lives in the hall with his family.

(1965- )

Palladian style – Roman/Italian influence

Designed by architect William Kent

4 ‘wings’ make it symmetrical

Built in 1738 – 68

Real home to the Earl of Leicester, Lady Leicester and their 4 children

THE BUILDING OF THE HALL

1865 - New water supply fitted

1850s - Stable block added and Old Kitchen refurbished

1900s - Electricity installed

2014 - Biomass boiler heating replaces oil

CHANGES TO THE HALL

The 1st Earl made a ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe for six years at age 18

He collected 250 paintings and sculptures, mainly from Italy

Very famous painters, including Rubens, Van Dyck and Procaccini

Sculptures nearly 2000 years old!

THE GRAND TOUR AND ART COLLECTION

Red Deer and Fallow Deer herds

1 mile long lake dug by hand

Monument in memory of Thomas William Coke, who became famous for farming

Ice house and walled gardens

HOLKHAM PARK

7,500 acres – 3,750 football pitches

Grow barley for beer, sugar beet for sugar, potatoes to eat, oil seed rape for cooking oil, wheat for flour, haylage for feeding cattle

and maize for bio-gas

Small herd of cows and flock of sheep are used for grazing

Famous for game shooting – Grey Partridges

FARMING METHODS AND INNOVATIONS

18 km of coastline from Burnham Overy to Blakeney

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Habitats: Grazing Marsh, Pinewoods, Salt Marsh, Sand Dunes, Beach

Protected for the wildlife

Only UK breeding site for Spoonbills!

NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE

The north Norfolk Coast is a destination for day visitors and holidaymakers

Tourism provides lots of jobs locally

130,000 visitors to the hall and park per year

500,000 visitors to the beach and nature reserve per year

Cycle hire, lake activities, events, concerts, holiday activities

A TOURIST DESTINATION

Research Holkham Hall and create a fact file. Where is it? When was it built? Who lives in it? Why do people visit it?

Find a painting by Van Dyck, Rubens or Procaccini. What do you think about it? How does it make you feel? What story is it telling?

Think about what different jobs people did at Holkham and still do e.g. Farmer, Gardener, Game Keeper, Butler, Nanny, Servant. Write a ‘Day in the Life’ diary entry for your chosen job.

List the different machinery used on a farm today – what was used before tractors and combine harvesters? Research, draw and label farm machinery from the 18th and 19th centuries.

What toys did children have in the 18th and 19th centuries and what games did they play? Complete an illustrated research project and try playing some of the games.

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITIES

Devise a code of conduct for woodland and beach exploring (H&S, Citizenship, PSCHE). Think about what style to write in and which type of verbs to use.

Find out which types of birds, mammals and insects you may see on the beach. Why is the beach a good habitat for these creatures?

Discuss the terms ‘minibeast’ and ‘invertebrate’.Compare and contrast with other animals including themselves. For example, appearance, lifestyle, movement, how they breathe.

Research and design a food chain diagram or piece of artwork to illustrate a typical woodland or coastal food chain. How can the existence of food chains be put at risk?

Find an inspiring image of a nature reserve, a beach, a woodland or a seascape. Write a poem or short story about your chosen image .

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITIES