AUTUMN 2014 the Holkham Gazette Remodelling Holkham for the Future

ISSUE 16 AUTUMN 2014 The Holkham Gazette Remodelling Holkham for the future

The entrance to the ‘togetherness’ will encourage staff development. Bygones courtyard will be Finally, the public lavatories and cycle hire centre, opened up and the gift Holkham byCycle, will be relocated. shop will relocate to the It is clear that this is going to be a huge project. The area under the courtyard estate has worked very closely with English Heritage canopy where the to make sure that everything being proposed for these museum’s cars are predominantly Grade II listed buildings is in keeping currently displayed. A and will not impact on areas of major historical P L

L museum will be housed to importance. The planning stage has been lengthy to s t c the left of the courtyard. make sure that everything is done as it should be. e t i h

c On the other side, access Lord and Lady Coke recognised that only the best r A

to the café will be possible architects will be able to see their vision through to s n i

k as the current Stables Café completion. They were instrumental in choosing p o will be remodelled to face Hopkins Architects, whose head office is in London, H

I grassed inner courtyard. will be disruptive. There was a suggestion that it could BY SARA PHILLIPS, EDITOR It is in the current café be done bit by bit, but everyone involved realised that There is no doubt that people enjoy coming to courtyard that the most exciting development will this would lead to greater disruption. Consequently, Holkham to visit the house and the magnificent park take place. The buildings behind the gift shop are the project is anticipated to start in January 2015 and that surrounds it, to enjoy the increasing number of today almost entirely used as storage, though in the to last a year, with the expected opening in April visitor attractions that have been added over the last past they housed the Holkham Pottery factory and a 2016. Throughout the building period the hall will few years and to walk on the beach. But it is also true former bowling alley but they have not been properly remain open as usual and temporary buildings will to say that the visitor approach to Holkham is not in used for many years and are in need of attention. house a shop and a café. Disruption for visitors will be keeping with the attractions that are on offer. The Holkham team have identified that one of the reduced as much as possible The drive into the park is beautiful, with mature things Holkham lacks is an impressive and flexible Above left: proposed interior view of the events building trees and glimpses of the deer herd. The welcome and indoor event space that is big enough to be used for looking towards the western end. efficiency of the parking staff who guide you as you weddings, conferences, concerts, dinners and similar. Below left: the architects’ plans for the Bygones courtyard. arrive is wonderful, but after that the next step is not To create such a venue the gift shop, former pottery so inspiring. It is not immediately clear where visitors and bowling alley buildings will be amalgamated into Lord Coke says... need to go to get to the ticket office or to the hall and one use. By remodelling where necessary, an Ever since it was built in the middle of the 18th the other attractions. Once furnished with a ticket, impressive space will be made which Holkham can century the hall has welcomed visitors: “Strangers visitors either take a trip through the Bygones hire out for functions. The whole area will be opened or travellers on Tuesdays” but the hall “may be seen Museum; fascinating in itself, but not always relevant out and turned into a stunning and flexible space for any day of the week, except Sunday, by noblemen to Holkham, or they come back outside to the entertaining. The buildings that are currently needing and foreigners!” My ancestors recognised that courtyard and have to follow signs round to the hall. attention will be brought back into use and an visitors would be intrigued by the hall, the interiors The café is lovely but far too small for the volume of attractive small courtyard adjoining the rarely seen and of course the fine art collection, but a house customers and the courtyard outside the café can eastern façade of the hall will be included in the like Holkham, with a history of over 250 years, become overcrowded in the height of summer. In development. doesn’t rest in aspic. It develops to meet different addition, there are offices for various Holkham staff As well as the new event space, the rooms used by needs. Hence in Victorian times the stables, the dotted about above the ground floor buildings and the education department will be upgraded, giving the terraces, the steward’s office (now the estate office), many employees spend a lot of their time walking team a better environment to entertain and educate porter’s lodge and a laundry were added. between buildings just to talk to one another. the parties of school children who visit Holkham. In the 20th century a building to house electric All of these problems needed addressing, so Lord The staff offices will be grouped together into the generators was added, as was the pottery factory. and Lady Coke, along with Enterprises Manager Celia space above the current Bygones Museum, meaning The development was organic and not necessarily Deeley, have devised what promises to be a major that a more integrated approach and a feeling of planned with visitors in mind. As the hall and park innovation for the estate. are now very definitely a large tourist destination It will be their signature and as the pottery/bowling alley building was project and one that will beginning to fall into disrepair, we felt this was the carry Holkham forward for time to address these issues. It is also an excellent future generations, both opportunity to provide some state-of-the art, new for the family and visitors. open-plan offices for our staff. Hopkins Architects The current finance were chosen because, amongst other reasons, I have office (the old porter’s not seen a Hopkins-designed building I have not lodge) will become the liked. We are lucky in Norfolk to have a number of entrance for visitors and fine examples of their work including The Forum the ticket office will move and The Hostry at the cathedral in here. This is where visitors Norwich, the refurbished St George’s will first engage with Chapel in Great Yarmouth and, closer to Holkham. A second door home, The Longhouse in Cockthorpe will be put in at the back village. They have brought great design of the building, so that a flair to our project and I am confident we flow of people in to buy will have a fantastic 21st century their tickets and out again conversion of the buildings around the hall. can be established.

www.holkham.co.uk AUTUMN 2014

Fifteen mile/£15 menu Anaerobic digester at Egmere Travelling from Wells-next-the-Sea to Fakenham on the B1105, the Dry Road, at The Victoria you cannot fail to have spotted two grey domes that have popped up at Egmere. Back again is The Victoria’s You also may have noticed that work has been carried out recently to upgrade popular £15 menu, giving you the road and f urther landscaping works are due to take place this autumn. All an opportunity to enjoy three this has been as a result of the installation of an anaerobic digestion plant, as delicious courses with the key part of Holkham’s drive towards a sustainable future. ingredients sourced within a The plant consists of a large digestion tank into which chopped maize is fed. fifteen mile radius of the This maize is a purpose-grown energy crop and the whole maize plant is used. estate. There are other crops that can be used in the digester, such as whole crop rye, Whenever possible, the but maize is considered to give the best balance of benefits and drawbacks. chefs at The Victoria use When the plant is in full production it will get through up to 100 tonnes of ingredients grown and raised maize a day, though at the moment it is only using around 40 tonnes as it only on the estate – beef from the started working in late August. cattle grazed on the marshes, Over a period of 40 days the maize is broken down (digested) by micro- game and venison from the organisms and this process gives off biogas: a roughly 50/50 mixture of methane park and vegetables from the and carbon dioxide. The mixture of gases goes through various cleaning, walled gardens. separating and pressurising procedures before the methane component is The fifteen mile/£15 menu pumped into the silver storage domes that you can see from the road. This will is available from 6.30pm to eventually be injected into the National Grid to supplement the country’s 9pm on Sunday to Thursday natural gas supplies. between 2nd November and 18th December and in The by-product of this process is called digestate. This is a stable, nutrient the new year from 4th January to 12th February and rich substance that is most commonly used as a renewable fertiliser or a soil 22nd February to 26th March 2015. conditioner, which is used to fertilise the maize crop for the following year. The Iron Lord and other sporting greats! Ever since Lord Coke completed his epic 800 mile cycle ride from who turned 50 this year and Lord Coke, who passes that particular Switzerland to Holkham in aid of the Walking With The Wounded milestone next year, took part and completed an incredibly tough charity in the summer of 2011, more sporting activities have come Ironman Challenge in Kalmar, Sweden in August. The Ironman is no to the fore on the estate. Of course, the Holkham Estate cricket stranger to Ben Hunter-Watts at The Victoria either, who has also team is still going strong, playing home and away matches taken part in one of these gruelling challenges. throughout the summer. The cricketing stalwarts have now been Did you know that Holkham also boasts a professional footballer joined by a rounders team and there are plans afoot to set up a staff on its team in Beach Café manager Alan Miller who used to play for running club. A cycle to work staff incentive scheme will also soon be Arsenal, whilst Nick Martin is an ex-England rugby player and a gearing up. To top it all, both Estates Director David Horton-Fawkes, volunteer in the walled gardens. Sporting greats, all of them!

CRICKET AND ROUNDERS TOUGH GOING AT THE IRONMAN By Jane Heasman, PA to the Estates Director By David Horton-Fawkes, Estates Director The Holkham Estate cricket team play a short five game season. This year the Thank you to everyone who has helped me raise £11,000 for the charity, first three matches were played at home and after great wins by Holkham The Friends of Young Carers. I am more than grateful personally and I know Village and Emerald Crops the estate team had their first victory against a that everyone at the charity is delighted by the amount we have generated. team from Handelsbanken, the estate’s bankers. I completed the final event of the four races I competed in this year, the long Not wanting to let the men have all the fun this year, we also put together a distance triathlon or ‘Ironman’, in Kalmar, Sweden on 18th August in a time of Holkham rounders team. During the home cricket matches the rounders team 12:01 hours. I am told that anything around 12 hours is ‘respectable’. It was a had practice matches, most players not having played since they were at gruelling experience but it is satisfying that almost three years of training has school. Children joined in and dogs perhaps wished they could too. However, paid off. even after all the preparation we were no match for the Sandringham ladies. The 2.5 mile sea swim was the least enjoyable part and I was predictably The afternoon was not a total disaster as Holkham’s cricket team played well slow. The 112 mile flat bike ride was long and the marathon was not as bad as and secured a win against the Sandringham Estate team. I had feared. The atmosphere among the competitors and spectators was Houghton Hall was the last away match and it was Holkham’s lucky day as wonderful. we managed to win both the cricket and rounders. Many thanks to all those This brings my year of midlife Lycra-clad activity to a merciful end. I went into involved including players, supporters, buggy drivers, the landscape department it vowing never again but I confess I am already secretly looking at next year’s and of course our catering team who provided the highlight of each fixture race schedule. I closed my JustGiving page at the end of September and can only with the post-match food and drinks. reiterate my thanks to all the people who have donated and sup ported me.

Holkham cricket team against Handelsbanken 2014 Holkham Rounders team at Houghton 2014 ‘Cycle to Work Day’ is a national event, championed by multi Left to right – back row: Alan Miller, Kevin Bray, Des Austin, Left to right – back row: Amy Boyington, Catherine Leach, gold medal winning Paralympic cyclist, Dame Sarah Storey. Patrick Defew, Jon Smith, David Wroth, Phillip Oldham. Amanda Savory, Laura Ballantyne, Nicky Garner, Sarah This annual event aims to encourage everyone to take to two Front row: Nicky Beck, Paul Matthews, Jack Dyer, Simon Henderson. Front row: Jo Stapleton, Laura Crane, Molly wheels and cycle to work for just one day on 4th September. Raven, (Dene Woods missing) the Springer, Marie Fowle, Teresa Abel, Sarah Grondowski Staff members at Holkham did just that! AUTUMN 2014

Dogs on the beach Progress at Ancient House

The conversion of the Ancient House building in Holkham village into a further ten spacious ensuite bedrooms for The Victoria is now well underway with completion due in spring 2015. BY SARAH HENDERSON, RESERVE MANAGER Ancient House has a fascinating history and is one of the oldest buildings Our four-legged friends enjoy a good day out as much as we do. With the wide open on the estate. The earliest map indicates its existence in 1590. The last time beach and sheltered pinewoods there is good walking for both dogs and people all any major work was done on the building was in 1885 when a programme of year round at Holkham National Nature Reserve. works was led by London based architect Zephaniah King. The works were Over the summer we have been surprised at the increase in the number of dogs carried out by James Rounce Builders of Blundeston near Lowestoft. It was that have gone missing from their owners. Many of these dogs have not been then that the Tudor-style chimneys were added and it is quite remarkable wearing collars with that vital phone number on them, so it makes it much harder that these magnificent chimneys have remained intact and undamaged, for us to reunite them with their anxious owners. As a general rule, the Kennel especially being so exposed to the north winds of the north Norfolk coast. Club advises that dogs should be kept on leads if you can’t depend on them being To ensure the chimneys remain standing for another 150 years, samples of obedient. By keeping a dog on a lead or under control and within sight at all times, the five different mortars used in their construction were recently sent it reduces the risk of your dog becoming lost, disturbing wildlife and cattle or off for analysis to ensure we use the correct lime mortar mix in their becoming a nuisance to other people. Sometimes dogs become lost at Holkham for restoration. many days – the longest I know of so far is seven days! This is an anxious time for Today’s programme of works is being led by Wymondham-based architects the owner and seeing how exhausted the dogs are when they are found, it can’t be Lucas Hickman Smith, whilst Robson Construction of Wisbech has been that much fun for the dogs either. appointed as contractors.We are fortunate to have the expert guidance Thank you to everyone who has been making use of the dog bins following our of Chris Young, Conservation Officer at North Norfolk District Council, ‘bag it and bin it’ campaign earlier this year. We have certainly been finding fewer to assist with the project and Plandescil chartered surveyors from bags thrown in the brambles or hung up in trees. Unfortunately, some people still Attleborough are managing it. It is exciting to see the interior and exterior like to leave bags in odd places. As you have taken the trouble to pick it up please of the building being restored and bought back to life. Follow the project’s use the bins provided on site. progress on our blog – http://ancienthouseredevelopment.blogspot.co.uk

Sunday 26th to Friday 31st October 10am to 5pm Ice cream sales help What’s on locally Halloween Horrors at Holkham. Wednesdays 1st, 8th, 15th, Spooky fun for all the family. Heritage House 22nd, 29th October at 10am Tuesday 4th November As part of the Beach Café’s drive for local fundraising Dementia activities at Wells at 10am the café has donated a percentage of all summer Community Hospital. Walking Women. Meet at the Beach ice cream sales to Heritage House Day Care in Saturdays 4th, 18th October Café, Wells. Wells-next-the-Sea. With the warm summer, sales at 10am & 1pm Wednesdays 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th have increased this year and a cheque for £500, Deer Discovery Walks. A guided walk to learn November at 10am double that of last year’s donation, has been some interesting facts about the herd of deer Dementia activities at Wells Community Hospital. presented. Heritage House will be putting the in Holkham Park. Sunday 9th, Thursday 13th November money to good use to buy furniture for the centre’s Sunday 5th October at 10am at 7pm new extension. Heritage House Run in Holkham Park. Jazz at The Hoste, Burnham Market. Tuesday 7th October at 10am Sunday 23rd November at 3pm Walking Women, Holkham Park. Meet at the ticket Chamber Music Concert in the Marble Hall at office at Holkham. Holkham with Marianne Cornetti, mezzo soprano Thursdays 9th, 30th October 12noon to 4pm and David Harper, piano. Demonstration Day in Holkham Gift Shop by Sunday 23rd, Thursday 27th November Terry Larwood, sculptor. at 6.30pm Thursday 9th October 10am to 4pm Jazz at The Hoste, Burnham Market. Open Day at Wells Community Hospital – all welcome. Tuesday 2nd December at 10am Monday 13th October 10am to 4pm Walking Women. Meet at the Beach Café, Wells. Demonstration Day in Holkham Gift Shop. Wednesdays 3rd, 10th, 17th December Jani Tully Chaplin will be signing copies of her book. at 10am Beach Café manager Alan Miller gives Heritage House day Thursday 16th October at 7pm Dementia activities at Wells Community Hospital. care manager Mary Britton a cheque for £500 from the sales The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan at The Hoste, Friday 5th December at 7pm of ice cream this summer. Burnham Market. Concert in the Marble Hall at Holkham with Sunday 19th October at 11am, 1pm & 3pm The Upper Octave. Start the festive celebrations Full details of Holkham’s Autumn Tours of the private gardens surrounding in musical style. Holkham Hall. Friday 5th, Saturday 6th, festive programme of Tuesday 21st October 10am to 12noon Sunday 7th December Guided Walk on the National Nature Reserve. Wells-next-the-Sea Christmas Tide. events for Christmas Meet at Lady Anne’s Drive. Friday 12th December at 6pm Jazz at The Hoste, Burnham Market. can be found on

For more information about Holkham events go to www.holkham.co.uk the back page Make Christmas Special The Upper Octave Presents ‘From Bizet to Broadway’ Friday 5th December at 7pm Singing ensemble The Upper Octave offer an evening of opera, classical and popular songs from composers including Bizet, Handel, Schubert, Larsen and Schönberg in the Marble Hall. Celebrate in True Holkham Style Saturday 6th, Sunday 7th, Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th December 10am to 5pm Join in the festivities as we open the doors of Holkham Hall for our traditional Christmas Celebrations. See the hall magnificently decorated with Christmas trees galore, greenery from the park, amazing decorations, delicious scents and candlelight. Meet costumed characters from Christmas past and our cheeky elves who love to sing and play their ukuleles! Listen to magical music and choirs or our storyteller with his captivating tales. Add a touch of sparkle with our angelic art activity, enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride or have your face painted and get into character this yuletide. Festive food and drink and a visit to our gift shop to find that perfect present all add to the Christmas spirit. As detailed above, there will be lots of activities for children during these weekends, but please note that children will only be able see Father Christmas on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st December when he will be making a special appearance at Holkham. See the Hall by Candlelight Wednesday to Friday 10th to 12th & 17th to 19th December 4pm to 8pm Take an atmospheric guided tour to see the flicker of candles illuminating Holkham Hall and its stunning Christmas decorations. Listen to the sound of live piano music and let our guides tell you how the decorations were created. Discover intriguing stories of Holkham’s history and its residents, past and present. Then why not browse in our ‘pop-up’ Christmas shop. Diva Opera Presents ‘A Merry Little Christmas’ Saturday 13th December at 7pm We welcome back Diva Opera, Britain’s foremost chamber opera company, to the perfect ¡ setting of the Marble Hall for this specially devised and fabulously entertaining Christmas Win one of two family tickets to our show. The performance will feature a selection of popular arias, songs and Christmas carols, Christmas Celebrations on either with music from well-known operas including The Marriage of Figaro , Die Fledermaus, 6th or 7th December La Bohème, Don Giovanni and many more to lead us merrily into the festive season. To enter email your name, address and telephone number to An Audience with Father Christmas [email protected], mentioning the Christmas Celebrations prize draw, or complete this form and post to: Christmas Celebrations Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st December from 9.30am to 4pm Prize Draw, Marketing Department, Holkham Estate Office, As the big day approaches, join us for our special ‘Audience with Father Christmas’ as he Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk NR23 1AB. stops off during his busy schedule to join us in the Saloon at Holkham Hall. It’s a chance to Closing date Friday 20th November 2014. listen to tales of wonderment, meet Father and Mother Christmas and our band of cheeky elves too, whose infectious Christmas spirit will welcome one and all. And of course we’ll NAME ...... have a present for all of our younger visitors to add to the excitement. ADDRESS ...... Places must be pre-booked online...... Festive Theatre ‘Great Expectations’ EMAIL ...... Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st December at 7pm What better backdrop for our Christmas theatre production than the impressive Marble Hall PHONE ...... at Holkham? Join Rain or Shine Theatre Company as they present their own adaptation of We would like to keep you informed of events and offers at Holkham by email. Please tick Charles Dickens’ classic novel Great Expectations . The story of Pip, a young orphan growing to this box if you do not wish to receive communications from us. This prize is valid only for the Christmas Celebrations event on either 6th or 7th adulthood, whose expectations are shaped by a number of colourful and curious characters. December 2014. Only one entry per household. Full details of the prize will be The perfect, festive, Victorian theatrical treat for young and old! despatched to the winners promptly after the closing date. A family ticket is valid for 2 adults and 2 children. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. For full terms For full details, ticket prices and to book online, visit www.holkham.co.uk and conditions, see www.holkham.co.uk/html/newsletter.html

H26tha toL 31Lsto Ocwtobeer 10EamN to 5 pHm orROrs Terrifying Times in the Bygones Museum painting and test your powers of pumpkin carving. Discover the wonders in the ‘Curiovan’ and see the Holkham Hall’s Horrors natural world in a magical way. Or let our You’ll find spooky body parts to make your own yarnsmith enthral you with his spell-binding, ‘pencil ghost’, whilst our frightful factoids will get mystical tales. With pumpkins galore, a ‘skull- your pulses racing. Join in the fun with ‘Kiddy Cook’ duggery’ challenge, silhouette bingo and pop-up and decorate a Halloween cookie – how gruesome ghosts to make, you’ll be in for a treat this will your creation be? Halloween! Tickets Ghostly Gardens Bygones Museum & Walled Gardens: Adult: £7 Play phantom football – can you get past the Child (2-16 yrs): £3.50 Family (2+3): £19 ‘ghoul-keeper’? Our ghostly codebreaker trail is Holkham Hall, Bygones Museum & Walled hauntingly fun. Gardens: Adult: £13 Child (2-16 yrs): £6.50 Family Gory Fun in the Courtyard (2+3): £35 Come dressed for this ‘spooktacular’ occasion and Pumpkin carving £3, face painting from £3 join in our fancy dress parade daily at 12noon, get Hall is open 26th, 27th and 30th October from gory grazes or weeping wounds with our face 12noon to 4pm.

Next issue published in Winter/Spring 2015 © The Holkham Gazette 2014, Published by Coke Estates Limited, Holkham Estate Office, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk NR23 1AB, Phone: 01328 710227