HOUGHTON HALL
WEBSITE: WWW.HOUGHTONHALL.COM
LOCATION: BIRCHAM RD, KING'S LYNN PE31 6TY, UNITED KINGDOM
NEAREST AIRPORT: NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, 1HOUR DRIVE. OR 3 HOURS TRAIN JOURNEY FROM LONDON
Built in 1720s by Sir Robert Walpole, the then Prime Minister, this Palladian style stately home is one of Norfolk’s most beautiful houses. The lavish interiors were styled by Sir William Kent and the rich velvet greens and puce serve as a striking contrast to the contemporary art currently exhibited to encourage visitors to spend the day on the estate.
The grounds around the house have been given over to contemporary art with sculptures and installations dotted throughout. With three works already installed, Richard Long is an obvious favourite. There is a James Turrell Skyspace, and sculptures by Anya Gallaccio, Stephen Cox, Jeppe Hein, Rachel Whiteread, Phillip King and Henry Moore all to be discovered amongst the hedges in the formal Walled Gardens and extended grounds. In the main house, the rooms have been restored and kept in their original condition but they are also occasionally used for exhibitions by contemporary artists, such as the exhibition of Damien Hirst in 2018.
The Stables have a further work by James Turrell, and is also where you will find the gift shop and cafe where I recommend you stop for lunch. You will need it after the long walk looking through the house and gardens. Another initiative which was recently launched by the owners is Contemporary and Country where local arts and crafts people are invited to place and sell their works that have been tastefully displayed around the stables. You can pick up a nice souvenir to take home with you of East Anglia.
The house is currently owned by the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, David, and his wife, Rose. They are the direct descendants of the Sir Robert and it is this generation that decided to open the grounds and a few of the rooms to the general public. The 5th Marquess was who restored the house just after WWII, though was unable to retrieve any of the original European art collection which was sold off in 1779 to Catherine the Great of Russia (except as a loan for an exhibition which was staged at Houghton Hall of the collection in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum. That must have been quite a show).
The county of Norfolk in East Anglia is a wonderful place to pass the weekend or summer holidays, with or without kids. It benefits from its coastal location and is littered with stone villages and idyllic country living. I stayed at Wells-next-the-Sea when I visited the estate. Think ice creams and Fish and Chips by the salty sea, and boutique shops selling crafted gardening tools and hand knitted quilts. There are plenty of recommended hotels on the site to fit any budget, some of which are closer to the house.
