Holkham Gazette

Issue 28 Autumn 2018

The Lookout Our new visitor facility on the National Nature Reserve First words

Caring for the Holkham collection Maria de Peverelli is executive chairman of Stonehage Fleming Art Management, serving a client base that includes The Lookout, the new facility on Lady individuals, family offices, foundations, Anne’s Drive on the Holkham trusts and estates. She has recently taken up National Nature Reserve, is well the role of consultant on the collection at worth a visit. The interesting, very Holkham where she will oversee the informative and interactive conservation and preservation, and educational boards and media screens supervise the loan, of items from Holkham’s reward those who take time to study world-famous collection to other art them, offering new insights as to how galleries and museums around the world. the reserve’s precious and precarious Maria is also a Trustee of the Yorkshire landscape is managed and what Sculpture Park and of the Estorick visitors can do to help. Its exciting Collection and serves as a member of the design seems destined for board of Advisers of the Fondazione Palazzo commendation by architects from Strozzi, Florence. She established OmniArt in 2005 and prior to that, Maria was around the country and the ‘green’ gallery director of the Favorita in Lugano (Thyssen-Bornemisza message is very thoughtfully and collection). She has organised exhibitions for the Museum of Applied Arts in effectively conveyed. All that and Frankfurt and taught museum management at the University of Genoa. lavatories too – go and see! Sara Phillips, Editor Contents

First words ...... 2 Seeking Christmas Bell’s relatives Fiennes result for Holkham ...... 3 Holkham parochial church council (PCC) is Dramatic plans for the woodlands ...... 4 & 5 seeking to restore a forgotten war grave in Finding a way forward ...... 6 & 7 the churchyard at Holkham and would like Turning over a new LEAF ...... 8 ‘Mooving’ to a new home in Wells ...... 8 to make contact with any members of the Cooking up a storm ...... 9 family. It is the grave of Private Christmas Make Christmas special at Holkham Robert Bell, 6th Battalion this year ...... 10 & 11 Holkham’s Halloween whodunnit ...... 11 Regiment, who died on Tuesday 3rd July The Lookout is informing visitors ...... 12 1917, aged 20. Connectivity is king at Holkham Studios ...... 13 His grave is located in the south east part Where have all the Red Deer gone? ...... 14 Let there be less light ...... 15 of the churchyard, between those of two From Holkham to Burghley and back ...... 15 members of his family. The headstone is Last words – Coke family reunion ...... 16 leaning to one side and very faintly it states ‘Wounded in action in France May 27th, www.holkham.co.uk 1917’. He was wounded on the final day of © The Holkham Gazette 2018 the five week long Second Battle of Arras. Published by Coke Estates Limited Presumably he was evacuated and sadly Holkham Estate Office died five weeks later. His name is on the Wells-next-the-Sea Holkham village war memorial. Norfolk NR23 1AB If anyone has any information on Telephone: 01328 710227 Christmas Bell’s family please contact Nick Next issue published Spring 2019 Forde by email: [email protected] 2 • Holkham Gazette A HIS H TORY O olkhamF IN 50 O BJECTS The lions at Holkham

Fiennes result for Majestic bronze lions greet visitors to the hall. Lucy Purvis explains why Holkham Before 1865, guests Jake Fiennes has been working on the visiting Raveningham estate, south-east of , approached via the south for the last 24 years. But he has recently been gates, travelling in their enticed to Holkham and has taken up the carriages up the long position of general manager of conservation drive before sweeping where he will, in his words, “deliver nature around the obelisk and conservation on a landscape level.” being greeted by the Holkham is justifiably proud of its track beauty and grandeur of record in conservation, not just in creating the hall and formal successful habitats for all the species on the gardens. Holkham National Nature Reserve but in However, when the its approach to farming, gamekeeping, railway arrived in 1865 forestry, landscape management and in its the new passenger wider sustainability policies in energy, station was situated part- recycling and visitor impact. way down Lady Anne’s Jake’s role will be to seek out and Drive, so many visitors, including the Prince of Wales champion all opportunities to raise (who had recently acquired the Sandringham estate Holkham’s conservation practices and and was a regular guest at Holkham), started to arrive policies to the next level. from the north. And you do recognise the name – he is a Although the entrance vestibule had been added in member of the multi-talented Fiennes family! the 1850s, there was no getting away from the fact that the north side of the hall had a rather austere exterior. The arrival of the roaring lion and majestic lioness Anthony retires after 20 years were intended to add a sense of dignity and drama to After serving for more than twenty years as a church warden visitors on their approach to the hall. at St Withburga’s church, Anthony Atkinson has retired from Frustratingly, there is no surviving correspondence in his duties. Lord and Lady presented Anthony with a the Holkham archives relating to the commissioning picture of the church and they, and everyone else at Holkham, of the lions or why lions were chosen in the first place, wish him well in his retirement. but it can be assumed that the 2nd was looking for a suitably impressive feature. He had previously commissioned Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834-90) to sculpt a marble monument, to be placed in Holkham church in memory of his first wife, Juliana, Countess of Holkham (1825-70) and Boehm was commissioned again, this time for a pair of bronzes for the north front. In 1872 Boehm exhibited the Holkham lions, alongside a marble statue of Queen Victoria, at the International Exhibition in South Kensington. Later that year the lions, like many visitors, arrived by train and were erected on their sloping rocky outcrops. The lions have enjoyed their role of welcoming visitors to the estate ever since.

Autumn 2018 • 3 Dramatic plans for the woodlands this autumn

Lord Leicester introduces dramatic forestry plans for the estate...

This autumn heralds some dramatic, Saxon word for dune) on the Holkham forestry operations on the estate. Head National Nature Reserve also present forester Harry Wakefield elaborates on us with a few problems. In parts it is a the plans on the next page, but in brief monoculture of pine, all of the same this is what we intend to do. age. The trees are not letting light get The southern end of the south to the forest bed, restricting natural avenue is nearly three hundred years regeneration. About 20 years ago our old and has lost more trees to storm forestry team, under the direction of damage and disease in the last quarter the then warden of the NNR, Ron of a century than are left standing. Harrold, thinned an area of about half Following consultation with the an acre. Light poured in and within a statutory authorities such as North few years the area was an untidy mass Norfolk District Council and Historic of unkempt brambles, to the extent we and with leading academics all wondered whether we had made a like Tom Williamson, Professor of terrible mistake. But nature is a Landscape Archaeology at University marvellous thing and the brambles of , we will embark upon protected the seedlings from being the bold move to clear-fell, year by eaten by deer. Now that area is awash year, sections of the avenue and with wonderful and varied new young replant it with new young trees. This trees. We have every hope and will represent quite radical and expectation that the same thing will immediate change. Interpretation happen again. boards will be erected to explain the The work will be carried out using story of the original creation of this large forestry harvesters and forwarders. 18th century avenue as part of one of These will have low ground pressure the largest designed landscapes of this tyres so as not to damage the dunes period and style, and of our actions though, ironically, any small today. disturbance by turning wheels or The pinewoods on the meale (Anglo dragged logs also promotes growth. Meale woods on the NNR to become more ecologically diverse Meale woods is a prominent feature of the landscape and forms part of the Holkham NNR. The woodland was planted on sand dunes by the 2nd Earl of Leicester in the latter part of the nineteenth century to prevent sand blowing onto the newly reclaimed freshwater marshes. The woodland consists mainly of pine and they have been largely unmanaged. Three kinds of pine are present: Corsican, Scots and Maritime Pines. In the few places where the canopy lets in light there are patches of bramble, privet, honeysuckle and Holm Oaks. On its landward side, the ribbon of pines is edged by mixed deciduous scrub which provides nest sites and feeding areas for breeding warblers such as Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Willow Warbler. The woodland edge has a varied structure and is very attractive to passage migrants and a wide range of invertebrates. Approval has been granted by both the Forestry Commission and Natural England for us to undertake a thinning operation in the western part of the wood. In line with the estate policy of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF), the long term vision for management is to introduce a sympathetic thinning programme which is sensitive to the rare species found in the woodland and will ensure no damage to underlying dune topography. Our aim is to selectively remove pine trees to allow light in, encouraging natural regeneration and enhancing the deciduous edge for bio-diversity, starting to transform a monoculture plantation to a more environmentally diverse woodland. Andy Bloomfield, who has been a warden on the NNR for six years, is behind the work. You can read more detail from Andy about the project on the Holkham blog at www.holkham.co.uk/blog 4 • Holkham Gazette The South Avenue to be clear felled and restocked

... while head forester Harry Wakefield explains what this will mean in practice

are removed for health and safety reasons and as part of good woodland management. This deterioration is affecting the legibility and function of the southern part of the avenue as a significant landscape feature, eroding its original philosophy. Restoration of the south avenue is included within the estate’s well- prepared and established multi-volume Heritage Landscape Management Plan (HLMP). This project, therefore, aims to deliver one of the long-term objectives set out in the HLMP: the proposed clear felling (the removal of all trees from an area) and re-stocking (the replacement Just under 10% of the Holkham Estate is of trees in an area of woodland that has woodland, a total of 827 hectares. The been felled) of the southern part of the south avenue woodland extends to 3.66 avenue over a five year period. The ha and is a mixed broadleaved woodland, historic, environmental and ecological the main species being beech, oak, Sweet implications were considered and it was Chestnut, Horse Chestnut and lime. The decided to phase the clear fell work. The original avenue was planted in 1735 and staging of the work will make the felling has had little management intervention, and restocking manageable for the apart from clearing trees and branches forestry department and mitigate the blown down by gales and a little aesthetic and ecological impact in a haphazard enrichment planting. On Grade I listed park. The phasing also inspection, a number of the trees reduces the impact on bats and their presented with cavities, trunk decay and foraging routes within the habitat crown retrenching. There are a number corridor, as well as allowing for better of veteran trees and a few with future timber production and a diversity significant ecological importance. of species for aesthetics and biosecurity. The south avenue was historically used The proposed restocking will comprise as the main entrance to Holkham Hall. circular clump planting of Pedunculate The trees were planted at regular Oak and Sessile Oak. Areas in between intervals, achieving visual containment these oak clumps will be planted with for the north-south view when travelling mixed broadleaf trees including Red along the avenue. Although no longer Oak, Sweet Chestnut, beech, walnut, used as the visitor entrance, the aesthetic Wild Cherry, Wild Service Tree and remains important as the avenue is used Small Leaved Lime. by many cyclists and pedestrians and for The harvesting programme has been carefully planned and scheduled to have Left: A beech tree under attack from Ganoderma estate tours that highlight its historic and fungus aesthetic values. the least impact on the public as Top: Showing the gaps in the trees in the south av - Many of the trees are declining, possible. However, for safety reasons it enue Above: A casualty of a gale, leaving only a stump particularly Horse Chestnut and beech, will be necessary to keep people out of and a gap and gaps have opened up as trees fail and the area where work is in progress.

Autumn 2018 • 5 Finding a way forward

Holkham’s Managing Director Peter Mitchell discusses Natural England’s Coastal Access Scheme

Natural England’s Coastal Access Scheme was approved by the Secretary of State in 2013. The idea was an exciting one: to create a continuous coastal walking route all the way around the English coast. At a total length of 2,700 miles it will be the longest in the world and be completed by 2020. Several parts of the route were in existence before the project started. The biggest of these stretches was the whole of the south-west peninsula, from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset, on the 630-mile South West Coast Path. In , the Norfolk Coast Path national trail from to Hunstanton was opened over 30 years ago. The Norfolk Coast Path has worked well in our area, creating public access along the coast from the eastern to the western boundaries of the Holkham Estate. So, when Lord Leicester was approached about the Coastal Access Scheme in 2014, he was supportive of its aims, seeing real benefit in connecting up existing paths, like the Norfolk Coast Path, with other similar paths and filling the gaps. Since that time work was completed on the 26-mile stretch between Weybourne and in December 2014 and then the 21-mile stretch between Hopton-on-Sea and Sea Palling in October 2016. With 66 stretches in total to deal with around England, the eight teams working on the project move on to a new stretch once they have completed the previous one on their list. Earlier this year Natural England’s team in Norfolk and Suffolk was ready to publish its proposals for the 38 miles of coast between Weybourne and Hunstanton, a stretch which is scheduled to be implemented next year. The consultation paper published by Natural England contained a few surprises, where the proposed route or width of the path moved away from the Norfolk Coast Path but the issue that raised the most debate was about the status of access to the saltmarshes at Wells-next-the-Sea and at Staithe. We learnt that the assumption in the Coastal Access Scheme is that the land to the seaward side of the defined Coastal Access Trail would be designated as either “open and unrestricted access”, or “restricted access”. In effect, the scheme has created an entirely new ‘either-or’ decision between two status options, with apparently no middle-ground outcome. Natural England had reached the conclusion that access to the saltmarshes at Wells-next-the-Sea and at Burnham Overy Staithe should not become open and unrestricted, and therefore become restricted. The reasons it gave were in part concerns about the safety of unrestricted public access into an area that has safety risks for those unaware of how fast and profoundly the landscape changes when a high tide arrives, and in part concerns about protecting nesting or migrating birds and other wildlife from the inevitable disturbance that would arise from open and unrestricted access. Unsurprisingly, many people who live in the area have seen this as a new and unwelcome obstacle to their enjoyment of this amazing part of our landscape. For those who have enjoyed walking across the

6 • Holkham Gazette saltmarshes for many years, perhaps generations, this looked like a needless and unjustified interference. Like others who would rather that things were left as they were, Holkham’s preference would be to preserve the saltmarshes, their unspoilt beauty, their wildlife and habitats and their careful and traditional use by local people who understand the marshes well. Holkham and other groups asked Natural England to clarify the proposed restrictions. Natural England’s lead adviser on the Norfolk and Suffolk part of the England Coast Path project made the following statement: “I can confirm the proposals in our Coastal Access Scheme will not prevent or affect any other use people already make of the land locally by formal agreement with the landowner, or by informal permission or traditional toleration; as well as any use of any registered rights of common or rights at common law or by Royal Charter etc; and that any such use continues unaffected by these arrangements.” This was very helpful and has given us a route forward. It is the basis for finding, in practice, a middle-ground between the two stark choices delineated in the Coastal Access Scheme of “open and unrestricted access” or “restricted access”. None of us want to see the saltmarshes become spoilt by any significant increase in use or by any type of new use that just isn’t appropriate for this beautiful landscape. I believe the best way to avoid that is to allow the maps to show restrictions to access and rely on the continuing “informal permission” of the landowner – an arrangement which Holkham has no plan or intention to change. Holkham, the wildfowlers’ clubs, the harbour commissioners, Natural England and others have worked together for many years to keep the saltmarshes safe and to deter any actions which will put the marshes, the wildlife, the uninformed visitor or the tranquillity of the place at risk. Long may that continue.

None of us want to see the saltmarshes become spoilt by any significant increase in use or by any type of new use that just isn’t appropriate for this beautiful landscape

Autumn 2018 • 7 Turning over a new LEAF Becoming part of a global scheme seeking to integrate all aspects of farming is good news for Holkham Farming Company

Holkham Farming Company is delighted to announce that it has joined LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming). LEAF is the leading organisation delivering more sustainable food and farming. It works with farmers, the food industry, scientists and consumers to inspire and enable sustainable farming that is prosperous, enriches the environment and engages local communities. It encourages an integrated approach to farming so that all aspects of growing food to take to market are considered. Agriculture worldwide is facing one of its greatest challenges: to produce enough nutritional food to fulfil the needs of the current and future population, while at the same time protecting the environment and human health. Finding and implementing innovative solutions to sustainability challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. It requires the involvement of farmers, retailers, researchers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from across the food chain. By working closely with producers, providing them with the right tools and services to make meaningful changes on the ground and by inspiring retailers and consumers the goal of a more sustainable and resilient food and farming chain can be achieved. Over the last six years, LEAF has seen steady improvements in how farmers are managing their soil and water, conserving energy, protecting their crops, enhancing wildlife habitats and reaching out to their local communities. All this has been delivered through farmers’ commitment to integrated farm management (IFM) and their drive and determination to improve their farming practices. Holkham’s view of farming and LEAF’s view are very similar, so joining the organisation made perfect sense. LEAF has a number of demonstration farms where other farmers can come and see what being part of LEAF means in practice and Holkham will be a demonstration farm very soon. To find out more about LEAF, visit the website at www.leafuk.org ‘Mooving’ to a new home in Wells Now that phase one of provide the best conditions for nesting waders in the spring and the conversion of the migrant wildfowl such as Pink-footed Geese, Brent Geese and barns at Chalk Hill Farm, Widgeon that arrive in huge numbers in the autumn. Over Warham, is complete, the 75,000 birds have been counted at peak times. Holkham herd of around 600 The cattle can only graze the marshes between May and South Devon cross and 80 Belted October so over the winter they have to be housed inside. The Galloway cattle currently housed there are moving. They are new state-of-the-art sheds will house the herd at one location, on their way to two new cattle sheds being built at New Farm, improving animal health and welfare. The site is also ideal south of Wells-next-the-Sea. The sheds have been designed to because all the manure produced will not have to be hold 1000 head of cattle, so over the next few years the transported to other sites by taking vehicles on the public numbers will increase as a result of breeding within the herd. highway. The land around the new sheds is ideal for growing The cows are used to graze the Holkham National Nature feed for the cattle, meaning that the fields will benefit from Reserve and the current herd size is too small to cover all the applications of farmyard manure. The site is also the closest ground, hence the need for the increase in numbers. Summer location to grass forage in Holkham park, currently not used for grazing keeps the grass on the reserve at the right length to in-house livestock.

8 • Holkham Gazette Cooking up a storm

Michael Chamberlain, head chef at The Victoria, talks to editor Sara Phillips about his cooking

If you come across a tall, dark bearded man ferreting about underneath a hedge on your travels around Holkham, please don’t be alarmed. It will almost certainly turn out to be Michael Chamberlain, the head chef at The Victoria, foraging for some of the wonderful and abundant wild ingredients he regularly includes in his menus. For sheer joie-de-vivre and enthusiasm about his job, cooking and food in general, Michael would be hard to beat! Michael has been in charge of the food at The Victoria for the last 19 months. He grew up locally in Thornham and attended Smithdon High School in Hunstanton. Time spent helping his grandmother bake cakes (and licking the spoon when she wasn’t looking) sparked off a love of food which he has never lost. He started his cooking career in Brancaster when he was 13, and after high school he went on to be trained at King’s Lynn college. He has worked in the kitchens of restaurants up and down the north Norfolk coast, culminating in working with Marco Pierre White at the Lifeboat in Thornham, where the renowned chef gave Michael his first head chef appointment. After 15 years at The Lifeboat, Michael had begun to look for another position so that he and his family could achieve a better work/life balance. He was contacted out of the blue by The Victoria’s general manager (and ex-school friend) Ben Hunter-Watt, who said, “I hear you’re looking for a job.” Michael agreed that he was, and after a chat and an interview he was offered the job at The Vic and has been there ever since. Michael’s style is traditional English/French cuisine but with a twist. He doesn’t believe in over-complicated food and thinks decent portion sizes, and only five or six ingredients on a plate, make for a satisfying dining experience. He is extremely proud that nearly all the ingredients he uses come from within a 50 mile radius of the hotel, and most of the items are sourced from the estate – venison, beef, vegetables and fruit from the walled garden, or from foraging trips in the countryside. ¡ PRIZE DRAW – win a meal for two at The Victoria To enter email your name, address and telephone number to [email protected], putting ‘Meal at The Victoria Prize Draw’ as the ‘subject line’ of your email, or complete this form and post to: Meal at The Victoria Prize Draw, Marketing Department, Holkham Estate Office, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk NR23 1AB. Closing date is 31st December 2018

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Autumn 2018 • 9 Make Christmas Special at Holkham this year For more information or to book online for any of these events go to www.holkham.co.uk

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING Thur Thur There’s always a chance to do some Christmas shopping at 15 22 Holkham. On offer is an array of exquisite tree and room Nov Nov 4pm- 4pm- decorations, also used to decorate the hall, plus seasonal 7pm 7pm scented candles, festive hampers, Christmas puddings, chutneys and Christmas cards, in addition to our usual selection of exclusive gifts, many of which are sourced from local producers and artisans. Take advantage of our two special open evenings, offering a 10% discount on all purchases and a glass of mulled wine while you browse. The shop is open daily and will stay open late for our Candlelight Tours and An Audience with Father Christmas. CANDLELIGHT TOURS Sun Sun Thur Wed Thur Fri Wed Thur Fri Mon 2 9 29 5 6 7 12 13 14 17 Dec Dec Nov Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec 12noon 12noon 3-8pm 3-8pm 3-8pm 3-8pm 3-8pm 3-8pm 3-8pm 3-8pm -5pm -5pm A magical opportunity to see the state rooms adorned with Christmas decorations and flickering candlelight. Join one of our guides for a tour where you will see the wonderful decorations, learn how they were created and find out the inspiration behind each room setting. Candlelight tours last 45 minutes and are at 15 minute intervals. FESTIVE FOOD FAIR Sat Sun Feast your senses in The Lady Elizabeth Wing. 15 16 A delicious collection of food and drink from Dec Dec 10am- 10am- the best local and regional producers will be here 4pm 4pm for a magical Christmas food event. Stock up on ingredients for your family feast, or find treats for food lovers on your list. Our cookery theatre with a difference, hosted by Charlie Hodson of Charlie’s Norfolk Food Heroes, features demonstrations from local chefs. And relax in the bar which will be open for drinks both days. CHRISTMAS MUSIC Fri Sat Tue Tue Sun Christmas would 30 1 11 18 23 not be Christmas Nov Dec Dec Dec Dec 7pm 7pm 7pm 7pm 11.30am without beautiful music Diva Diva Chamber Cathedral Carol and this festive season Opera Opera Music Choir Service Holkham has something for everyone. Diva Opera offers a sparkling evening of song, perfect to get you into the festive spirit, tenor Luis Gomes and pianist Carole Presland perform a chamber music concert in the Marble Hall, Norwich Cathedral Choir brings a feast of best-loved Christmas music both sacred and secular and there is a Christmas carol service at St Withburga’s church. 10 • Holkham Gazette CHRISTMAS CRAFTS WORKSHOPS A NATURAL CHRISTMAS Sat Sun Sat Sun 1 2 8 9 Dec Dec Dec Dec 10.30am- 10.30am- 10.30am- 10.30am- 12noon 12noon 12noon 12noon and 1pm- and 1pm- and 1pm- and 1pm- 2.30pm 2.30pm 2.30pm 2.30pm Join our children’s festive workshop and make decorations to take away using a combination of natural materials including berries, twigs, pinecones, greenery and moss. Add a spot of Christmas sparkle too! Weather permitting, there will be a short Holkham’s walk at the start of the session to collect some materials from Holkham park. This session is suitable for children aged 3 and above. Halloween FESTIVE WREATH MAKING Whodunnit... Wed Wed A wonderful opportunity to make your own Christmas wreath 5 12 to hang on your front door this Yuletide. Spend the day Dec Dec creating your festive wreath using greenery from 10am- 10am- 12.30pm 12.30pm Holkham’s parkland. The workshop is suitable for beginners. ight y Halloween n and 2pm- and 2pm- ark and storm Please bring a pair of light gardening gloves and secateurs if On a d us a fright Holkham gave 4.30pm 4.30pm A murder at elp us to find you would like to use your own. k, “can you h unnit?” we as ind?” “Whod ing a body beh who fled leav The murderer FESTIVE FLOWERS d eed to be solve quizzes that n Tue Create your own table centrepiece using greenery from the Holkham are trails and volved There will get you in ing and crafts 18 park to display in your home over Christmas. With the expertise of Pumpkin carv treat a Halloween Dec te a cookie for meet Jo Thomas from Constance Rose Florists, your fingers will be turning Decora re is a ghost to 10am- am Hall as the Search Holkh 12.30pm green in no time! Suitable for beginners. Bring light gardening gloves and sports and 2pm- r some spooky secateurs if you would like to use your own. ome join us fo 4.30pm C kes all sorts and kids, it ta do Parents ’s so much to olkham, there ! alloween at H to seeing you H – look forward teningly good AN AUDIENCE WITH It’s frigh FATHER CHRISTMAS Pre-booked 45-minute timeslots Come and enjoy Halloween at Sat Sun Wed Thur Holkham... Thursday 25th to 15 1U6 T 19 20 Dec ODec Dec Dec Sunday 28th October, 10am-5pm 10am- LD 10am- 10am- 10am- NB: Hall closes at 4pm 5.3S0pOm 5.30pm 5.30pm 5.30pm Tickets Join us for our special Audience Child (2-16 years inclusive) With Father Christmas as he stops Family (2 adults and up to 3 off at Holkham Hall during his children 2-16 years inclusive) busy schedule. It’s a chance to Holkham Hall, Field to Fork meet Father and Mother Experience and Walled Garden Christmas in the Saloon where Adult: £16, Child: £8, Family: £44. they will regale you with tales of wonder and magic while our all- Field to Fork Experience and Walled singing, all-dancing band of ukulele Garden Adult: £7.50, Child: £3.75, elves will entertain you with Family: £21. musical interludes. We also suspect Buy tickets online to save 10% off they will have a trick or two up their these prices – www.holkham.co.uk. sleeves! And of course, we’ll have a small Additional charges for face painting present for all our younger visitors and a glass of and pumpkin carving. prosecco or a soft drink for everyone and there’s a biscuit for children too. Autumn 2018 • 11 The Lookout informs visitors to the National Nature Reserve

The new facility blends perfectly into this sensitive landscape offering spectacular views

Holkham National Nature Reserve is one of the most important nature reserves in “The Lookout already the country. The reserve is best known for its stunning panoramic beach and the feels embedded in the rich and varied wildlife found on the grazing and saltmarshes. It receives over landscape. We hope 800,000 visitors a year. The new visitor engagement building, The Lookout, is now open and is well worth a visit. There is a variety of visual, interactive and it will raise awareness informative interpretation. High tide times and the reserve’s bird sightings are of the conservation listed, along with television screens highlighting the wildlife to be seen. For birdwatchers, there are spectacular views out over the grazing marshes. Sit with a work on the Holkham cup of tea or coffee on one of the high stools overlooking the new scrape and National Nature watch the birds coming and going. If you are lucky, and know what you’re looking Reserve. The Lookout for, you may see one of the rare migrant species that visit the reserve or, in winter, you will be amazed at the spectacular sight of thousands of Pink-footed Geese highlights our ongoing flying in. investment to enhance The Lookout is located close to Holkham beach and was completed in mid- the visitor experience” August. The uniquely-designed, circular structure is aesthetically pleasing and sits happily in the landscape. The building provides a modest catering facility Peter Mitchell, Holkham MD committed to reducing single-use plastic using 100% plant-based compostable packaging and visitors can purchase a ‘cup for life’ with their drinks. A central metal sculpture of reeds created by local blacksmiths at Holkham Forge supplies free water for customers. The Lookout serves freshly cooked and locally sourced food and ‘wrapper free’ ice-lollies are a highlight during summer months. Warming soups are available in the winter. The café also offers much-needed lavatories including an accessible lavatory and baby-changing facilities.

12 • Holkham Gazette Connectivity is king!

Two new tenants at Holkham Studios are making real use of the superfast broadband on offer. Editor Sara Phillips goes to see why

TherapeutAix enables real Aitrak uses AI to help brands world medicine and retailers maximise the Bob Humphries worked for the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca visual impact of their designs for 32 years, where he was behind the David Bailey has spent his career working for discovery and early progression of anti- global brands like Apple and Samsung, living thrombotic compounds used in the everywhere from San Francisco to Beijing to treatment of heart disease. Paris. His work has focussed on customer VisionRealisation, his consultancy experiences: store design and layout, product company, is now part based at Holkham placement and how shoppers interact with their Studios. Recently he has become surroundings in a retail environment. director of project strategy at David is now the CEO of an AI (Artificial Intelligence) startup based at Holkham TherapeutAix, based in Aachen (the Studios. Called Aitrak, the company has used machine learning to create a German name) or Aix-la-Chapelle (the predictive eye-tracking solution for designers and marketers. This can be used to French name for the town and the help brands and retailers optimise the visual impact of their storefronts, window source of part of the company’s name). displays, merchandising fixtures, product packaging and advertising. Traditional eye- TherapeutAix is focused on fibrotic tracking studies usually take several weeks at the cost of thousands of pounds but diseases. It works with researchers and Aitrak can provide the same results within minutes. developers who have great ideas for new David was delighted to discover the offices at Longlands. The fact that they are medicines but need help to translate serviced appeals to him and he is impressed that Holkham has gone the extra mile their ideas to the real world, and take in providing the superfast broadband that he relies on to speak to colleagues and them through the early stages of clinical customers around the world on a daily basis. He also respects Holkham’s development to a point of proof that the commitment to quality. As David says, “the buildings are good to look at and lovely idea works in patients. to work from. Overall I would give Holkham Studios an A+ rating!” Bob’s work with both companies is done at Holkham Studios because the broadband connection is fast and stable. He regularly holds conference calls with colleagues in London, Edinburgh and Aachen and is full of praise for how well the system works. Like David Bailey (see right), he is firmly convinced of the advantages of working from the Studios.

Holkham Studios has serviced offices to let offering a contemporary, light space in a fantastic working environment. To arrange a viewing or for further information, contact Hermione Warmington on 01328 801302 or email [email protected] Autumn 2018 • 13 Where have all the Red Deer gone? Lord Leicester explains the reasons behind the decision to sell the Holkham herd of Red Deer

In March and April this year we sold our herd of 55 Red Deer to Julian Stoyel of Red Oak Deer. Julian was at Holkham for three years from 2004 to 2007 as our first full time deer manager before he went to manage the deer herd at Houghton Hall. It had been my decision in 2007, the year I took over from my father, to introduce them into the 900 acre Holkham deer park. Julian had come from Woburn, arguably the most famous deer park in England with the greatest blood lines. He managed to source 20 Red Deer from there. They were magnificent beasts and did very well on our rich lowland grass. However it was, perhaps, the first of my decisions of which my father disapproved. There were not very many, I hasten to add! From his stalking expeditions in the highlands of Scotland he had a more romantic view of the ‘Monarch of the Glen’. He felt such a fine beast was out of scale in an English park. So Dad will be pleased they are no longer at Holkham. Magnificent though they are, my reasons to sell them were twofold: from a forestry point of view, being a much larger animal they were able to reach over our galvanised steel and even older cast iron tree guards (made to protect against our Fallow Deer) and nip the tops off young park trees. They were also more aggressive on the trees, often rubbing the protective bark off the trees and damaging them. From a safety standpoint, with our ever increasing number of visitors, especially those visiting during the autumn when the rut is in full flow, I could not risk a testosterone charged young stag attacking a walker or cyclist. There have been cases of this in other parts of the country. I will miss the deep bellows of the rutting stags, but already, I sense our visitors do not miss them. Over the weekend I saw literally hundreds of holiday makers gazing in awe at our Fallow Deer. Indeed they have more right to be here having inhabited the park for well over two hundred years. Information points The Red Deer is the largest land mammal in the UK. Males (stags) stand 107 to 137cm high at the shoulder and weigh between 90 and 190kg. Adult females (hinds) reach a height of 107 to 122cm at the shoulder and weigh 63 to 120kg. The summer coat is reddish brown to brown and the winter coat is brown to grey. Stags have large, highly branched antlers and the number of branches increases with age. Antlers can have up to 16 points in wild animals. Red Deer are a native species, having migrated to Britain from Europe 11,000 years ago. The breeding season, or rut, occurs from the end of September to November. Stags compete for hinds by engaging in elaborate displays of dominance including roaring, parallel walks and fighting. Serious injury and death can result from fighting but this only occurs between stags of similar size that cannot assess dominance by any of the other means.

14 • Holkham Gazette Let there be less light

Dr Mac Graham, Holkham’s librarian, explains how the priceless collection is protected from the ravages of UV light

If you have ever wondered how to calculate how many micro watts per Mark Taylor checks the light levels in the Saloon lumen of ultra violet (UV) light are falling upon your precious works of art then a recent training session for the hall staff would have been right up your street. As part of our ongoing campaign to protect the treasures of Holkham we organised the training so that more of the hall team now know how to use the light and UV monitoring equipment. The session, run by Nick Selwood of Eagle Bindery and Conservation, covered both theory and more practical matters involved in taking light readings. One of our priorities is to check how well the current UV protection film on the south-facing windows is working. If you’ve seen the glass in the South Dining Room and Landscape Room and wondered why is appears to be bubbling, it is because the laminated glass with UV protection is separating. Interestingly, it still seems to be providing almost perfect protection against UV light where we have tested it so far. It is not just the UV which damages delicate artworks, especially books and paper items such as watercolours. Visible light will also cause damage over time. And light damage never recovers. Hence the need for low light levels in the bedrooms where there are delicate fabrics and why we keep light levels low for book (and especially manuscript) displays. One surprising result is that items on the back wall of a room are receiving around three times the light levels of the side walls. So, when not open for display, the blinds come down and the shutters are closed. With artworks as wonderful as Holkham’s, we cannot be too careful. From Holkham to Burghley and back BY SUZANNE PAUL, HEAD HOUSEKEEPER amazing and we managed to walk to the beach, although we did It is always good to see how other stately houses operate. A get slightly cut off and had to take shoes and socks off to get recent visit to in Stamford, Lincolnshire by back!” We are very grateful to everyone who helped make the Holkham’s housekeeping team meant they got to see how Burghley visit a good one. Burghley’s staff manage their property. Part of Holkham’s continuous improvement for its staff is to In August, our housekeeping team welcomed the Burghley encourage a practice of ‘Go See’ other historic houses that team for a return visit. After a cup of tea and cake and a demonstrate best practice and that might benefit our ways of question and answer session, a visit from Lord and Lady working. The hall team is now busy planning a ‘Go See’ to Leicester followed. The Burghley team enjoyed a private tour of in in the New Year. the hall and commented on how clean the rooms were, how beautiful the flowers looked and what a nice touch this is for visitors to see. Our guests went to the Café, followed by a visit to our beautiful beach and the new visitor centre, The Lookout. Colin Eames, Burghley’s head butler said, “Thank you so much for giving us a wonderful day at Holkham. We really enjoyed the tour of the house. It was lovely to meet Lord and Lady Leicester and the members of the team. The Lookout is Burghley House

Autumn 2018 • 15 Last words

Coke family reunion Lord Leicester celebrates a joyous day with (nearly) all his relatives

On Sunday 29th July we held a ‘Coke family reunion’ at Holkham. My thanks go to David Harvey, son of Mary Harvey (née Coke), who carried out sterling work tracking down disparate lines of the family, some as far afield as Tasmania. A reunion had been David’s idea, along with his second cousins Lady Glenconner and Robin Combe, all grand-children of the 4th Earl. My wife and I agreed, with some trepidation, to host it. When my step-mother had suggested the same to my father about twenty years ago he had said, ‘No way! The guest list would run into thousands!’ We ended up with 195 cousins of varying sorts, but in truth there were a number of branches of the 2nd Earl’s children we could not track down. The 2nd or Victorian Earl, born in 1822, was head of the family from 1842 until his death in 1909. He married twice, first to Juliana Whitbread with whom he had nine children before she died in 1870. He then married Georgina Cavendish and they had another six children. There were also three babies who died in their first year. I am the 2nd Earl’s great-great-great- grandson and, remarkably, we had two of his grandchildren characteristics. Lots of young people came present. Henry Coke and his sister Charmian Spickernell are and all had the opportunity to go on guided both in their eighties and had come to join us, 196 years after tours of the hall or attics for perhaps the first their grandfather was born! Amazing to think that their great- time ever, or the first time in fifty years. Top: The Coke grandfather, (Coke of Norfolk) danced with Marie-Antoinette in Lucy Purvis, our archivist, had worked family Paris before the French Revolution in the late 18th century! tirelessly to create a huge family tree that Above: Lady Everybody brought picnics to The Lady Elizabeth Wing and stretched 10 metres. Enterprises staff were on Glenconner (née wandered from table to table, glass in hand, greeting cousins they hand to ferry picnics from cars and my PA, Lady Anne Coke) had never met. There were even two people present who were Fiona Robinson, went beyond the call of duty cradles Winifred friends and didn’t even know they were cousins! I don’t think in organising the whole thing and being on Raison, one of the anyone knew more than seventy or eighty people but there were call all day. newest members certainly plenty of shared family resemblances and All in all it was a very happy occasion. of the family

16 • Holkham Gazette