New visitor facilities at Holkham for 2016: May 2016

Wednesday 25 May 2016

Rolling out the 'green' carpet

There's nothing better than the sight of freshly laid turf and it's great to see the courtyard in front of the Lady Elizabeth Wing receiving it's fair share.

Tuesday 24 May 2016

"It's in the detail"

Now that the important structural changes have been made in the Lady Elizabeth Wing, it's now time to concentrate on the fine details that will give this venue the 'wow' factor. Some of these finer details include the solid oak flooring in the main hall and landscaping the outside space using mild steel edging made on the Estate by Holkham Forge.

Precision flooring in the Lady Elizabeth Wing

The landscape team busy making sure that everything lines up exactly

Thursday 19 May 2016

Taking Shape

The Lady Elizabeth Wing project has moved on considerably with the various recognisable rooms taking shape. The roof has now been completed giving the building an iconic shape and means that the real oak wood flooring can be laid. In addition to the roof the white dolomite etched concrete beams and columns have been installed courtesy of Cornish Concrete Products Ltd.

The bar area in the entrance lobby to the Lady Elizabeth Wing.

A fresh and contemporary feel - The ladies toilets with plenty of cubicles in a light and airy space.

Metal work adding a touch of the wow-factor to what will be a really impressive space.

A view of the rear of the building showing the completed roof and floor to ceiling glass windows.

New Visitor Facilities for 2016

Plans for a major transformation of the former stables and redundant pottery buildings at Holkham will create exciting new and improved facilities for visitors to the hall and park. Working with one of the UK’s leading names, Hopkins Architects, the project will create many new features.

The plans include a new café and restaurant which will double the amount of indoor seating. The current café is no longer able to accommodate the number of visitors coming to Holkham Park, which is estimated to have risen by more than 50% over the past four years.

A larger shop will extend the opportunities to showcase the local suppliers and producers who provide most of the gifts and items for sale in the shop. The conversion of the former pottery into an indoor events facility will create a space capable of seating over 250. This will enable the estate to host weddings and conferences, which will extend the visitor season beyond the busy summer months and support local accommodation providers in low season.

The longstanding Bygones Museum which is owned by the Bygones Charity will close and be replaced by a new exhibition telling the story of Holkham’s unique farming heritage.

The exhibition is being designed by Drinkall Dean and will become the focal point of the estate’s ambitious education programme which now employs a full time education officer and works with over 50 schools. The aim of the new exhibition will be to show how the land is linked to food production and will explore themes of nutrition and cookery, which are increasingly relevant to young people.