Holkham Gazette

Issue 25 Spring 2017

Romantic decay or sad neglect? Change and development at First words

The most comprehensive and definitive study of any

I was delighted to hear from The 18th century splendour of is part of a much wider readers that the new design of the and longer history now revealed in a new book by Holkham archivist Holkham Gazette has been met Christine Hiskey, titled ‘ Holkham, the Social, Architectural and with approval. Landscape History of a Great ’. In this issue, Lord Based on many years of research in the archives, the book traces explains how Holkham is working Holkham's fortunes through 400 years, starting when a junior to address the problem of housing branch of the Coke family first came to live at Holkham and needs in the new millennium, explores Holkham’s relationship with the landscape around it. there’s an exiting announcement Chronological chapters describe the roller coaster fortunes about this year’s Country Fair and of the Coke family at Holkham in the 1600s, the long process a visit to Holkham from the of planning, building and furnishing the hall in the next incomparable Tom Jones! century, how it later became a focus for farming and We are still interested to know hospitality and what life was like in the hall in Victorian what you think of the new style. times. It also tells of decades of precarious survival in Email [email protected] the first 70 years of the 20th century and the revival Sara Phillips, Editor that brought Holkham through to the new millennium. Other chapters reveal the craftsmen who built the hall, how the massive amounts of Contents building materials were sourced and the quest to incorporate the most advanced domestic technology. The creation and expansion of the park are an integral part of the First words ...... 2 & 3 story, as are the fortunes of Holkham Town (of which no trace remains) and Holkham Holkham people ...... 3 Staithe (the precursor of the present village) and the gradual transformation of the Housing at Holkham ...... 4 & 5 coastal landscape of marshes and dunes. Tourism too, such an important facet of Slow Food Festival ...... 6 Holkham today, has a long history, starting when the hall was still a partly built shell. Holkham Country Fair ...... 7 The book is generously illustrated with documents, plans and maps from the archives New businesses at Holkham Studios ...... 8 as well as new specially commissioned photographs. Written comments received so far What the Butler Saw ...... 9 include “beautifully written... brilliant illustrations”, “incredibly informative and eminently Barn owls at Holkham ...... 10 & 11 readable” and “the most comprehensive and definitive study of any great house”. A History of Holkham in 50 Objects ... 11 The book is available from the Holkham gift shop, price £60. Coastal Bioblitz ...... 12 A new look for the Beach Café ...... 13 Pedal rides back ...... 14 & 15 Last words – Easter fun ...... 16 HSoulkhcamc eHasll sha sa wton tHwo eof rthiet paresgtigeio uAs 20w17 aHurddsons ’s Heritage Awards which were announced on Tuesday 14th www.holkham.co.uk March. Holkham picked up the awards in the categories of © The Holkham Gazette 2017 Best Family Day Out and Best Shopping. Published by Coke Estates Limited, Established in 2011, the awards are an independently Holkham Estate Office, judged annual national scheme open to historic houses, Wells-next-the-Sea, gardens, museums and heritage sites and celebrate the very best visitor experiences. Norfolk NR23 1AB The judges said, “Holkham Hall offers an outstanding family day out. The estate Telephone: 01328 710227 continues to innovate and improve, providing a wide range of casual and formal Next issue published Autumn 2017 experiences for all age groups both inside the house and in the parkland and woods.” 2 • Holkham Gazette

Walled garden Tom Jones comes to Holkham! volunteers The Holkham Estate, LHG Live and Live Promotions are delighted to The volunteer days at the announce that legendary artist walled garden are very Tom Jones is set to perform at Holkham popular. Seven ladies from the volunteer force talk in a spectacular outdoor concert on about the work they do. Sunday 23rd July. Margaret Maynard lives in Tom Jones’ distinctive voice and . She was joined iconic records have earned him a place by Sue Helyer from as one of the best loved artists ever to , Sue Scoles from emerge from the 1960s, with an eclectic Wells, Maria Beckhurst musical mix spanning pop, rock, soul, from , Alex R&B, dance, country and gospel. With who lives down south but more than 100 million record sales who has a home locally, under his belt, including the instantly Lynn Thompson from Holt recognisable hits It’s Not Unusual , Kiss , and Pauline Gillings from Delilah and What’s New Pussycat , he is Langham. without doubt a living legend. Tom All the women see continues to garner popularity as both a volunteering at Holkham as live performer and recording artist after a chance to garden and to five incredible decades, and at the age chat while they work; the of 76, has earned the best reviews of his companionship is an added career for his most recent albums Long bonus. Volunteering also Lost Suitcase , Spirit In The Room and offers a chance to learn Praise & Blame . new gardening techniques. Tom is currently a coach on ITV’s All the women are popular talent show The Voice and has delighted that their hard appeared in several films, including work is so appreciated by Mars Attacks . With numerous tours the head gardener Dene Wood world over under his belt and a legion of fans, his extraordinary career was recognised in and his staff. Volunteer days in the 2006 through his knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen, and a string of prestigious garden are on Wednesdays, music awards, including BRIT Awards for Best Male and Outstanding Contribution to Thursdays and Fridays. To Music, a Silver Clef Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Hitmaker Award from the find out more email (US) Songwriters Hall of Fame, GQ Man Of The Year, and the prestigious (UK) Music [email protected] Industry Trust Award. Tickets are standing only, but concert-goers are encouraged to bring along a blanket or canvas chair so they can relax and enjoy the exquisite setting of the parkland, whilst Tom enthrals on the stage. There will be ample concessions for food and drink. Standing tickets are available, priced at £45 plus booking fee for General Admission and £55 plus booking fee for Golden Circle. Tickets are available from the following websites: www.tomjones.com, www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.lhgtickets.com, www.livepromotions.co.uk or from Holkham Ticket Office 10am – 5pm. Telephone 01328 713111. The concert will take place in the east park. Food and alcohol are not allowed to be brought in to the concert. Spring 2017 • 3 Change and development at Holkham Lord Leicester considers the emotive subject of housing and development

North Norfolk’s glorious Those of us living in , locals year. Current construction is nowhere near coastline and countryside and incomers alike, value it for its many that figure. are what draw people to qualities. Prime amongst them is its unspoilt As a major landowner in the area we are in a live here and to visit in character; its big skies, its coastline, its views strong position to help find the solution to their thousands. But and its relatively low housing density, all are these problems. I am afraid I am not prepared, people need houses and cherished. The Holkham Estate is very lucky indeed I am unable, to preserve our little part employment, so change to be right in the centre of perhaps the most of north Norfolk in aspic. Change is with us all must come... prized part of that coastline. the time, it must be sensitively embraced, We are, however, not cocooned from channelled and managed to ensure it does not external pressures. Two major effects are spoil the character of an existing place. You increased tourism and pressure from central could probably take any village in Norfolk and government for extra housing. North employ an architectural historian who would Norfolk really is ‘flavour of the month’ as a doubtless tell you there has been development tourist destination. It has overtaken the of some sort at least every 50 years for the Broads as the most popular Norfolk past 500 years, so to hope for no further destination and in the last five years has development now, in the 21st century, is simply amazingly overtaken both Cornwall and unrealistic and, potentially, socially damaging. Devon for tourism spend. Our visitors need Therefore, if development and, dare I say, somewhere to stay, but as visitor numbers progress is to be with us, it is beholden upon grow there is an increasing shortage of bed all of us to ensure it is of the highest quality spaces. and enhances rather than detracts from its Turning to new housing, Britain needs to location. In the 1947 Town and Country build approximately 265,000 new homes a Planning Act we have a strong ally.

4 • Holkham Gazette Change is with us all the time, it must be sensitively The Holkham Estate owns 290 Many houses around the county houses. Seven of them, such as the embraced, channelled and have now been sold as second Triumphal Arch, are impracticable managed... homes, indeed, in the last 20 years, to live in and are used as holiday we have sold 16 ‘old stock’ as they accommodation. All the others are were not core to our holding, but leased to local people, key workers or you may have had 50 workers on a built and retained 12 new houses for people who have chosen to make 1,000 acre farm, that number reduced rent. Back in the 1970s and 80s my Norfolk their home 365 days a year. to around ten workers roughly 40 years father was advised to sell ‘valueless’ Reflecting the demographics of the ago and now a farm of that size needs cottages as in the days of rent controls area there is a proportion lived in by only one or two people to work the they were seen as a liability. Thankfully retirees; however, we actively seek to land. The machinery involved in he ignored that advice so that today we rent our houses to working families agriculture has increased in size and are able to continue to provide a key who contribute to the local economy, capacity to such an extent that many of provision to local people who might provide services to the community and our wonderful old barns can no longer otherwise have been priced out of the whose children fill the local schools be used for their intended purpose. area. and who care for retirees. With no use comes neglect, so Patterns of employment have Many of our houses were built in the alternative uses must be found to changed. Tourist businesses, which are 18th and 19th centuries to house breathe new life into them. Thus far we labour intensive, and other growing farmworkers. Agriculture has changed have converted some barns into homes, modern businesses like Monica Vinader markedly in the last 80 years and where offices and workshops. Jewellery, which rents office space at Holkham Studios in Holkham park, now need those ‘agricultural cottages’ to house their employees and their families. Although the capital value of these cottages is high, the rental return is poor when seen in the context of what we have to spend on maintaining them. When a cottage is given up by a tenant it is rare that it only needs a lick of paint. We spend on average £50,000 per house when we refurbish it. In the 1970s and 80s my father modernised cottages by bringing loos and bathrooms into them and abolishing the outdoor privy! Now, forty years on, we are undertaking massive restorations that often include re-wiring and re- plumbing, new bathrooms, kitchens, flooring but not cheaper UPVC windows. More accommodation is needed and in the next issue of the Holkham Gazette I will discuss some of our plans for the future and look back with a degree of pride on the houses we have built and the barns we have converted in the last 20 years. Modern houses built by the Holkham Estate in Warham Spring 2017 • 5 Slow food makes its way to Holkham The slow food movement is now global. Holkham hosts the Slow Food Anglia Festival in April

Saffron from Norfolk Slow Food is an organisation founded in Italy in 1986. Its ideas and aims have since spread worldwide. The slow food movement is an alternative to fast food. It is a way of eating and living which brings together people who have a Norfolk was famous for growing saffron passion about good healthy food and who also have a strong commitment to in Tudor times. Many dishes benefitted local communities and the environment, following the slow food ethos of from the incomparable flavour and good, clean and fair food for all. People who follow the slow food way strive to aroma of saffron. It was also used as a preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourage the farming of plants, dye – Henry VIII passed a law that said seeds and livestock that are characteristic of the local ecosystem. The goals of only clothes for royalty and the the movement are sustainable foods and the promotion of local small aristocracy could be dyed using saffron. businesses and there is a political agenda directed against the increasing Now a thriving business has evolved, globalisation of agricultural products. started by Dr Sally Francis. Norfolk Many of Norfolk’s local producers of food and drink are joining this Saffron, near , was movement and on Saturday 8th April Holkham will host the Slow Food launched with a handful of saffron bulbs Anglia Festival. The Lady Elizabeth Wing will play host to a food market with received as a birthday present. In 2009 up to 26 producers and street food traders offering their wares to taste and buy Sally took 9g of saffron to the Burnham during the day from 10am to 5pm. There will also be talks and cookery Market Craft Fair and sold it all. She demonstrations from several of the participating producers and invited guests. now has an acre of plants which yield In Italy, a sagra is a local festival, very often involving food. On the world class saffron. Sally has had her Saturday evening from 7pm there will be an Italian style sagra feast for up to saffron graded and is immensely proud 200 guests, prepared by Slow Food Chef Alliance member Mark Matless that it is as good as that from from Bite the Bullit catering in . countries traditionally identified

n Amongst the producers attending during the day and who will o with the crop, such as Iran. r f f also be included in the evening menu will be Camcattle from a Each flower centre yields S Cambridge with their Red Poll beef and Fen Farm with their k l three or four stigmas. o f Baron Bigod raw milk cheese. Norfolk Saffron, run by r

o These are gathered

N Dr Sally Francis at her small holding near Burnham Market, from the flowers by ©

offers Norfolk-grown saffron for sale. e hand, then carefully r u Entrance to the day event is free. A £3 charge for car t c dried to give the final i

p parking at Holkham applies.

n product. If you’d like to o For more information and to purchase tickets for the evening r f

f try her saffron, Sally will be a sagra feast visit www.slowfoodanglia.org S at the Slow Food Festival. 6 • Holkham Gazette The Red Arrows at Holkham Country Fair Organiser Sarah Green gives a sneak preview of what this year’s country fair has in store

Holkham Country Fair is back this summer on 22nd and 23rd July. The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take to the skies each day to showcase wartime aircraft including the Spitfire and Hurricane. On the Sunday the speed, agility and precision of the RAF will be demonstrated when the Red Arrows thrill the crowds with their 30 minute show-stopping display. Trick riding supremoes, Dzhigitovka! – The Way of the Cossack Warrior will be the big draw in the grand ring. The Dzhigits are legendary warriors with exquisite and brave horsemanship. They are masters of the Shashka sword, knife throwing, pistol shooting and archery along with outstanding gymnastic skills. This is a truly spectacular show. Madcap capers from the Allcomers’ Dog Racing Team, the Mounted Games of Great Britain, British scurry and driving trials, CJ’s Birds of Prey, the Band of the Parachute Regiment with the children’s march past and Gamegoer gundog displays with Graham Watkins round up a fun-packed Grand Ring schedule. Country pursuits are celebrated around the showground with BASC gundog events, gundog team test and scurry competitions, clay pigeon shooting, fishing, lurchers and ferret racing. Bring all the family and camp for the weekend or simply enjoy the tasty delights of the Woodforde’s Food Village, shop ’til you drop around the trade stands and take a stroll through Countryman’s Walk to watch the traditional craft demonstrations. This year’s country fair is a true family day out with something for everyone, book online for great discounts: www.holkhamcountryfair.co.uk

Spring 2017 • 7 New businesses move in to Holkham Studios

Two of the new serviced offices at Holkham Studios have welcomed new tenants

Oliver Roberts has big plans for his business Camp Champ, a very clever outdoor kitchen in a box. The brainchild of an Austrian outdoor enthusiast Franz Moser, Camp Champ provides complete kitchen equipment to cook and feed a proper meal in the wildest places you can reach – no burnt on the outside, raw in the middle burgers here! The equipment includes a gas cooker with high-performance burners, four ready-to-go cooking surfaces, generous working space and plenty of room for pots, pans and your cooking utensils – all packed cleverly away into a box which unfolds to give cooking and preparation space when you have arrived at your cooking site. As the brand representative for Camp Champ in the UK, Oliver sees his mission advisor not as a simple one of selling the equipment but as a way of connecting people to the trusted outdoors through the medium of good quality, beautifully prepared food. Instead of Trusted Advisor is a company offering test drives to try the equipment, he wants to introduce ‘Taste Drives’ so that potential independent financial advice, run by customers are able to try the equipment and see what it can do. Oliver hopes to hire David Vaughan. David is delighted with himself and a Camp Champ to the company’s new office space at groups who want to Holkham Studios and spends much of experience real food in the his working day in bare feet, relishing open air. Customers can the underfloor heating. Somewhat come to his office and meet surprising in a man who oversees 36 Oliver, then head off to select clients and many millions of secluded parts of Norfolk pounds of investment! David also loves where they will arrive at a the fact that his electric car, which field kitchen set up and ready makes the journey from Gunthorpe to to cook. Oliver will create a Holkham each day, is able to recharge meal from local ingredients at the charging points provided as part for them so that they can of his tenancy package. experience dining inspired by But the main thing that persuaded the travel era on which the him to move his business to Champ kitchen is is the availability of superb internet modelled. connectivity. As David explains, running Demonstrating the versatility of the a business that relies on cloud kitchen, an alternative experience could computing requires ultra reliable and take place locally in Wells-next-the-Sea, fast broadband which is part of the meeting fishing boats on the incoming offer at Holkham and was the clinching tide, buying fresh shellfish and cooking thing that led him to rent an office. ‘from dock to pot’. Now that he’s here though, the Oliver will attend food festivals this year advantage of quiet, modern, well including the Slow Food Anglia Festival in April and the North Norfolk Food and heated, serviced offices just a short Drink Festival in September both held at Holkham and possibly Wells Carnival in journey from home means productivity the summer, hosting his cookery theatre. The objective is to give an intimate has soared and he couldn’t be more platform to promote local talent and engage an audience through live cookery. pleased. Nor could his clients: now The new office Oliver rents at Holkham is just the space he needs for meetings and they know where Trusted Advisor is to demonstrate his modern field kitchen. But he makes no secret of the fact that the based, they are keen to travel to position and prestige of Holkham all chimes with the image he is hoping to project, Norfolk for review meetings, saving both to potential customers and to clients of his off-shoot business, Camp Champ David lots of trips to . Cook. For more information visit www.campchampcook.co.uk

8 • Holkham Gazette What the Butler Saw

This year’s exhibition at Holkham explores the below stairs world of the servants

In a grand house, the butler saw everything! He was the only person allowed to go into every room. Share his world through the exhibition in the hall and delve into the archives at Holkham to take a look behind the scenes at the lives of the staff who have lived and worked here. Find out what it takes to lay a table properly and how many courses they ate 100 years ago. Meet characters such as Surridge the butler, Paterson the head gardener and Scrivener the chauffeur and find out who the lady’s maid fell in love with. Using photographs and original uniforms, alongside historic documents, you can explore the different staff roles, how the use of the hall has changed over time and the personal experiences and colourful stories of the people who have helped to keep this great house running over the last 200 years up to the present day. There is dressing up, some mystery objects and secret passages to find, making it an engaging experience for everyone.

Top: The 3rd observes as Surridge the butler carefully carves Christmas dinner in 1940 Left: The reference drawing held by Simpson & Son of South Audley Street, London showing the dress livery of the Earl of Leicester’s footmen Above: The present day butler to Lord Leicester, Daniel Green Spring 2017 • 9 Arresting the decline of the barn owl John Middleton of North West Norfolk Ringing Group talks about the barn owls at Holkham

The ghostly silhouette of a barn owl with its heart shaped face, seen silently patrolling a meadow, marsh or field margin on the lookout for an unsuspecting mouse or vole, is a sight that many people treasure. A sight that is not too uncommon around the Holkham Estate. But that is not the case everywhere in Britain because although the barn owl was once numerous and widespread, the species has suffered a decline of up to 70% over the last 50 to 60 years. As recently as 1987 the UK population was estimated to be about 4,500 pairs. The major reason for this decline has been changes in habitat and the loss of nest sites. Traditional nest sites vanished as the number of hollow trees available were lost. Dutch elm disease was partly to blame, as was the great storm of October 1987 when an estimated 15 million trees were flattened. Often, ancient trees some hundreds of years old died and old barns became redundant and fell into disrepair or were converted into dwellings. Barn owls take readily to nesting in suitable nest boxes and beginning in the late 1990s, with the permission of the 7th Earl of Leicester, one of my colleagues, Richard Brooks and I installed nest boxes in suitable barns on the estate, often with the encouragement of the tenant farmers. We mainly used re-cycled tea chests, with the addition of a front that included an entrance hole towards the top. I have been monitoring these boxes annually for over 25 years, recording details of occupancy, nest contents and leg ringing any chicks with British Trust for Ornithology rings as I hold the special licences necessary to carry out ringing and nest inspections. Barn conversions, an emotive issue for some, have sometimes resulted in the loss of nest sites, but I am happy to report that at Holkham there is a positive approach to this issue. When a disused and redundant barn, that is invariably host to a pair of owls, is identified for sale and development, I work closely with the property department and Sarah Henderson, the manager of the Holkham National Nature Reserve, to provide an alternative nest box on a nearby tree or on a pole so as to minimise the effect that the loss of the barn as a nest site might have. In many cases this has been successful and the owls have adopted the new box as their home. The results of my monitoring programme have revealed that the estate hosts a healthy population of barn owls and although the numbers of pairs breeding from one year to another may fluctuate, with some pairs choosing not to breed in a given year, the population remains stable at around 30 pairs. The choice of whether or not to breed and the ultimate success The intriguing tale of the white ostrich

Archivist Christine Hiskey reveals the bird’s fascinating origins

On the lower corridor of Holkham Hall, near the porter’s A HISTO door, stands a wooden case Hol RY OF which contains a white carving kham of the Holkham ostrich. IN 50 O The ostrich is a familiar BJECTS figure on the Holkham Estate. More than 400 years ago, the great lawyer, Sir , adopted it as the family crest, reputedly because the ostrich was known to digest the hardest objects, just as he could digest the most difficult laws. It John Middleton with a pair of newly-ringed barn owls appears in or failure of any attempt is governed by the heraldic availability of their small mammal prey. The splendour in the abundance or lack of small mammals fluctuates coat of arms and according to their own breeding success or failure in more prosaically any year. This means that barn owls face a choice of on pub signs or attempting to breed or not and if they do so, that embossed in iron on their brood sizes fluctuate according to how old ovens. abundant small mammals are. This carving in the In a year of low mammal abundance some pairs hall is probably the largest will only raise one chick, but in good years it may be version, about 60 cm high. It as many as five or six. has a primitive air and its origins were unknown, Since I began to monitor barn owls at Holkham giving rise to a suggestion that it might be an early over 800 chicks have been ringed, but many of these carving, perhaps dating from Sir Edward Coke’s day. will not have survived to adulthood. A high The truth, however, revealed by a visitor to the hall percentage of barn owl chicks die after fledging as some years ago, is altogether more interesting. She they search the countryside for a home of their wrote, “My late father, WL Smithdale, ran the own. These deaths are often as a result of collision Leicester Lime Company in Wells-next-the-Sea with vehicles. Once they find somewhere to nest which was owned by the Holkham Estate. During the their chances of survival are improved. second world war he employed German prisoners of war who worked at the quarry. They carved the ostrich”. From the 1950s through to the mid-1960s Information points the Leicester Lime Company exhibited each year at The barn owl ( Tyto alba ) is the most widely the Royal Norfolk Show and the ‘Chalk Ostrich’ distributed species of owl and one of the most always had pride of place on the stand. widespread of all birds. The barn owl is found almost When the business closed, the ostrich came home everywhere in the world except polar and desert to Holkham and this reproduction of an ancient regions, north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia heraldic device preserves a piece of 20th century local and some Pacific islands. history.

Spring 2017 • 11 Coastal Bioblitz set to be Norfolk’s largest wildlife survey

Join in with a mission to record as many insects, birds, mammals and plants as possible over one weekend

Over the course of the weekend of 22nd and 23rd July everyone is invited to take part in the largest wildlife survey ever carried out in Norfolk. A partnership of nature conservation teams from the National Trust, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Natural and Holkham Estate, supported by the Norfolk Coast Partnership, will come together to hold a Bioblitz. This will be a race against time to identify and record as many species as possible along this coast over a 24 hour period from Holme-next-the-Sea to . In 2015 the National Trust hosted Bioblitz surveys in 25 coastal locations around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Two sites at Brancaster and Blakeney came first and second respectively for the number of species found, showing just how valuable and important the We want the public to get Norfolk coast is for nature conservation and richness of involved and help identify biodiversity. These previous plants and animals in fun surveys also recorded a handful of wildlife firsts for the Norfolk coast. activities along the coast. It is hoped that this year’s much larger You need no prior knowledge nature survey, to include observations and and we will be encouraging as recordings from the public, will uncover many Above: A Balearic shearwater more wildlife treasures that may have been many people as possible to take was spotted at Blakeney in the previously unknown. 2015 Bioblitz part. We hope to discover as “We want the public to get involved and help Below: A Moss Carder bee seen many species as possible. at Brancaster identify plants and animals in fun activities along the coast. You need no prior knowledge and we will be encouraging as many people as possible to take part. Together with the help of nature experts and volunteers we hope to discover as many species as possible,” said Rachael Wright, Cley Community Education Officer at Norfolk Wildlife Trust. The north Norfolk coastline attracts millions of visitors every year, many of whom come to experience the fantastic and diverse wildlife found here. But it is a coastline that is at the mercy of the sea with climate change causing rising sea levels and more frequent storms. The sea’s unpredictable power and the damage it can cause was brought firmly to the public’s attention on the night of 5th December 2013, when a tidal surge of a magnitude not seen for sixty years caused widespread devastation along much of the east coast of England including here on the Norfolk coast. A reminder of the sea’s threat was more recently seen with the flooding at Cley Marshes, Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s flagship reserve, in January this year. Nature is resilient and these coastal locations, some of which were under seawater for many weeks in 2013, soon bounced back and continue to recover. But the sea’s threat is likely to have a significant effect on our wildlife. Now is a great opportunity to survey every species from the smallest insects to the largest mammals to gain a more accurate view of the species present on our precious coast. For more information on the Bioblitz visit http://bit.ly/NCBioBlitz

12 • Holkham Gazette A new look for the very popular Beach Café Angela Drinkall of designers Drinkall Dean explains why the change was needed

Drinkall Dean has been involved in several recent projects at Holkham including the design of the Café and the Field to Fork Experience. Angela Drinkall first worked on the Beach Café in 2010, prior to its opening in 2011. Then the project involved making the servery area larger and creating an interior design that felt fresh and fun and was influenced by the beach huts and the café’s locality. As a result of the success of the Beach Café this old layout became in need of updating. The brief was to create a family friendly, bright and colourful space with a flexible seating layout to provide increased internal seating. The counter has been lengthened to accommodate four till points to help reduce queues. The food servery has been opened up, creating a sense of light and space. Drinkall Dean has worked closely with the Beach Café team to agree on the material look and feel. The café becomes extremely busy and is subject to intense wear and tear so it was important that the new finishes were durable and easy to clean. The new design uses driftwood inspired materials and colours that reference retro seaside cafés. The seating options range from large benches and breakfast bars to leather banquettes with smaller tables ensuring the café caters for groups big and small. Angela says, “We wanted to create a ceiling installation inspired by the seaside and achieved this with a hung display of vintage buoys. This together with new sustainable lighting gives a bright, colourful and playful look to the café. It was important to keep two fundamental elements, the wood burner for cold winter days and the famous cake table!” Opening times: 1st April to 30th June open every day 10am–5pm; 1st July to 4th September open every day 9am– 7pm; 5th September to 31st October open every day 10am–5pm; 1st November to 31st December open every day 10am–4pm (closed on Christmas day). Dogs are also made very welcome inside the café.

Spring 2017 • 13 Pedal Norfolk rides back on the spring bank holiday It’s the fifth time the family-friendly cycling festival has been to Holkham – this year may be the best yet

Pedal Norfolk is back for its fifth year at Holkham for the late bank holiday weekend, Saturday 27th to Monday 29th May. Family-friendly is the main theme for this fun bicycle festival. There will be a children’s cycling academy, a fun-fair, Orla Chennaoui of Sky Sports is compere live entertainment and thrilling shows and a fantastic array of food and drink as for the weekend well as challenging sportive rides and races for the cyclists in the family. And it’s all for a good cause – the charity partner this year is Walking With The Wounded. With over 2,500 cyclists and more than 8,500 visitors expected, there will be a number of individual cycling events and activities on offer aimed at all ages and levels of ability – from first timers to more experienced cyclists – as well as plenty to entertain spectators of the sport. An added bonus is that last year’s compere, Orla Chennaoui from TV’s Sky Sports will be back, talking to riders and families about their day and making sure proceedings go without a hitch. For serious cyclists Pedal Norfolk challenges serious riders to conquer 250 miles of sportives in three days along 20, 50 or 100 mile routes that are signposted and supported with feed stations on the way. Parts of Norfolk are fairly flat, so riders can get into the tucked position and go for speed, but they’ll need to leave a little in the tank for the coastal ramps that all the courses ambush riders with at the end. Last year 118 riders completed the full 250 miles. For the first time this year, a closed-road race will take place on 27th May at 5pm starting in front of the hall. It is open to 2nd, 3rd and 4th category riders who have licences from British Cycling. The race will take the competitors on a route through some of the park’s key landmarks at speed – racing cyclists can easily get up to speeds of 25mph or more! 14 • Holkham Gazette Once the riding is finished, serious cyclists and those who ride for fun will be able to test out the latest cycling products and meet and chat with professionals showcasing the most up-to-date bikes, clothing and gadgets. For not so serious cyclists For children there will be a safe seven mile bicycle route within the grounds of Holkham, a Cycle Academy for four to 12 years old, balance bike training for children aged one year and up, grass track training, Isla Bike arena and a half-mile mountain biking course through the woods, as well as bike hire for all. Pedal Norfolk will be a glorious weekend for those who choose not to cycle too. The activities on offer include a fun fair for younger visitors with trampolines, a climbing wall, a tunnel adventure course and inflatables to enjoy as well as Holkham’s Field to Fork Experience and woodland play area. All within one mile of one of Britain’s best beaches and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Evenings at the festival will be packed full of additional entertainment with competitions, prize-giving, films, live music and alongside the Adnams beer tent there will be a number of food outlets focusing on locally sourced fare. If you’re coming from further away, there is camping in the park at Holkham. The campsite is by the stunning lake and is safe and secure with excellent facilities and showers for guests to feel right at home. So come and enjoy the unique sociability of this great bike festival. Pedal Norfolk Cycling Festival will be taking over Holkham park. All adult visitors will be charged £5 to enter Holkham park and accompanied children (aged 16 and under) will be free of charge. There will be no car parking charges on these dates. For full details about this event, please visit www.pedalnorfolk.co.uk Spring 2017 • 15 Last words

Easter fun for the whole family Good Friday 14th – Easter Monday 17th April

Join us for four days packed full of imaginative design using icing and ‘egg-citing’ things to do over decorate a temptingly tasty Easter Easter. Our ‘egg-cellent’ events biscuit. and activities will be great fun for Climb aboard the Easter all the family. Express and take a trailer ride The Field to Fork Experience over to the walled garden where is a great place to start your the fun continues. We’ve got adventure with us. Our Easter exciting games and quizzes to bunny will be there to welcome play, or why not visit the unique you and will set you off on some and wonderful atmosphere of our exciting trails to test your skills. storyteller’s enchanted yurt, ¡ Then it’s a short walk across to where different cultures are the hall where spring has sprung brought to life through music and PRIZE DRAW Two family with vibrant displays of flowers in storytelling. This Easter, some tickets on offer to spend an all shapes and sizes. It’s origami fluffy friends from Party Animals fun time too and there’s a chance will be visiting and waiting to egg-citing day at Holkham on to create your very own ‘hoppy’ meet you, while Holkham’s face Saturday 15th April friend or discover the animals painting expert is on hand to To enter email your name, address and telephone that roam at Holkham with our transform you into your favourite number to [email protected], mentioning the footprint quiz. Easter animal. Easter prize draw, or complete this form and post The popular Kiddy Cook team For information and to book to: Easter Prize Draw, Marketing Department, Holkham Estate Office, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk will be back this year in the old tickets, please visit NR23 1AB. kitchen. Create your own www.holkham.co.uk Closing date is Monday 10th April, 2017.

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16 • Holkham Gazette