10 Exhibitions not to miss at The Treasure Houses of England 2015

Winston Churchill Exhibition

From artistic masterpieces to fascinating historical exhibitions, The Treasure Houses of England look set to deliver a captivating programme of exciting events this year. Here are 10 exhibitions not to miss!

Beaulieu’s new Motorsport Exhibition opens on Friday 6 March 2015. The new exhibition will include two exciting new displays: Grand Prix Greats and Road, Race and Rally perfect for motoring enthusiasts and families to enjoy.

Blenheim Palace unveils a reinvigorated Winston Churchill Exhibition on 14 February. The exhibition marks the beginning of a year of commemorative activities and events at Blenheim Palace and includes a series of new and never-before-seen displays and features, providing a fascinating insight into Churchill’s life.

Burghley’s exhibition Oriental Ceramics, showcases star items from Burghley’s World- famous collections including the unusual Wrestling Boys, who were famously used as a doorstop for many years before their provenance was discovered.  The exhibition highlights the differences between Japanese and Chinese variants.

Burghley Collectibles and Curiosities

Duty Calls, an exciting exhibition from Waterloo to World War II, explores the stories of Castle Howard in times of war, giving a glimpse into a hitherto unknown chapter of the family and estate.

From 28 March - 23 October, experience Chatsworth in a whole new way with contemporary seating exhibition Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth. Contemporary seating by international designers, such as Marc Newson, Moritz Waldemeyer and Thomas Heatherwick will be shown throughout Chatsworth, bringing to light new stories about the interior and the historic collection.

Harewood will showcase a collection of gift boxes in a special display on the State Floor in the new A Gift from the Whole Nation from 3 April –1 Nov. The gift boxes are some of the ‘thank you’ presents given by Princess Mary in 1914 to send to the troops at Christmas time. In total over 426,724 gift boxes had been made and distributed in just two months helping boost moral for serving troops.

Art in Clay at Hatfield House is an outdoor summer exhibition from 3 - 5 July. Showcasing over 190 ceramists in the beautiful parkland visitors can see some of the finest ceramics currently being made by individual makers in the UK and Europe.

For one year renowned Magnum photographer Chris Steele-Perkins had unrestricted access to Holkham Hall and the estate. Behind Closed Doors:  A Year in the Life of a Working Estate is the stunning collection of extraordinary and intimate photographs that resulted. Runs from 29 March - 31 October.

From May the world famous Leeds Castle Dog Collar Collection returns to public display. More than 130 collars will be on view in a new display, in the largest public collection of dog collars and it documents the history of canine fashions dating from the 16th century into modern times.

Visitors can experience the largest private collection of Venetian Views by Canaletto on public view at Woburn Abbey. There are 21 paintings on display in the Dining Room. Opening 27 March 2015.

Cheeky team of mischievous elves join Father Christmas present giving at Holkham this Christmas

Children will have the chance to enjoy a very special appointment just days before Christmas when Holkham Hall presents an audience with the great man himself. 

Father Christmas will be joined by his cheeky team of mischievous elves. Under the watchful eye of Mother Christmas, he will entertain the young audience with tales of wonderment and magic in the magnificently decorated and grand state room, the Saloon at Holkham Hall.  The ukulele- playing elves will have a colourful and musical repertoire to add to the entertainment.  Each child’s visit will reach an exciting finale with their very own personalised gift from Father Christmas. 

The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21 and is recommended for children aged 12 years and under who will receive a personalised present. A special Christmas pop-up shop in the hall will give visitors the opportunity to browse for last-minute presents and festive treats after the performance.

The seasonal visit by Father Christmas is a highlight of a magical month of entertainment at Holkham, from the moment the doors open in early December. In the days leading up to his visit, there will be a magnificent line-up of festive activities and events, guaranteed to give everyone the very best Christmas experience before the big day. 

Visitors will be spoilt for choice with Holkham’s exciting festive programme that sees the hall traditionally decorated for Christmas for two weekends on December 6/7 and 13/14, when the fun-loving ukulele elves will join in the merriment, along with costumed characters, music and carol singing, story-telling and art activities, face painting and carriage rides, as well as festive food and drink and an opportunity to browse the Holkham gift shop for that perfect Christmas present.

The Marble Hall is the perfect backdrop for two evening musical concerts on December 5 and 13 and a weekend of Christmas theatre with Charles Dickens’ classic novel, ‘Great Expectations’ on December 20 and 21.

The return of Holkham’s popular mid-week candlelight tours of the hall will ensure there is something for all tastes.

Full details of Holkham’s Christmas programme in December and opportunities to book tickets online can be found by visiting www.holkham.co.uk

Holkham to invest £4.5m in new exhibition and visitor facilities

A Site Layout Plan of the proposed
Ground Floor - credit Hopkins Architects LLP

Proposed interior of events building
- credit Hopkins Architects LLP

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 (Registered No. 801090) 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.

Since the Bygones collection began in 1979 it has accumulated thousands of donated items varying from agricultural machines to mechanical toys and household implements. Some of the objects in the current exhibition will be reused but the estate is looking for a new home for many of the objects that have been collected over the years and is currently in the process of contacting the many people who have donated items over the years to see if they would like them returned.

Objects that cannot be re-homed will be sold and the proceeds retained by the charity to further its educational objectives which are “establishing and maintaining an exhibition centre at Holkham, Norfolk for educational purposes, with particular reference to the achievements and influence of the agricultural reformers, Coke of Norfolk and ‘Turnip’ Townshend of Raynham and to the provision of facilities for the demonstration and study of agricultural evolution with special emphasis on East Anglia.”

Dick Joice, a progressive farmer whose own collection formed the nucleus of the Bygones Museum farmed on both the Holkham and Raynham Estates and would certainly approve this far seeing Holkham enterprise for the 21st century.

David Horton-Fawkes, estates director at Holkham said: “Holkham was the crucible of the Agricultural Revolution and the four course rotation, and there can be no story which is more relevant to Norfolk and Holkham.  The whole project will create considerable building work for 15 months, but we believe the final result will provide a fantastic new visitor experience which has been designed to rival anything found in any other stately home in the country.”

The estate has worked closely with English Heritage and North Norfolk District Council to ensure all the plans for the mainly Grade II listed buildings will be in keeping and that there will be minimal impact on areas of major historical importance.

While building work is underway, the hall will be open at its normal opening times and temporary facilities will be used in 2015 for ticketing, the café and gift shop. 

Anyone who originally donated an item and may be interested in having it returned should email enquiries@holkham.co.uk or telephone the Estate Office on 01328 710227 by the end of November 2014.

Join in the ghoulish fun this Halloween at Holkham

Ghoulish adventures and spooktacular happenings will set hearts racing at Holkham Hall when it hosts a spine-tingling array of Halloween events sure to terrify the bravest of souls.

Halloween fun at Holkham

Halloween Horrors will take place from October 26 to 31 with lots of scary activities, ghostly games and gory fun and frights for everyone to enjoy celebrating Halloween.

In the Bygones Museum visitors can discover the wonders inside the amazing ‘Curiovan’ and see the natural world in a magical way. Their sense of curiosity and wonder will be awakened by the specimen jars, dancing skeletons, singing mechanical birds, clockwork ladybirds and tiny skeletal fairies which are among the many exhibits to be discovered and explored. 

Ghostly fun!

A yarnsmith will enthral his listeners and bring to life his spell-binding, mystical tales and Victorian stories of ghosts, witches and devils.  Some hauntingly scary fun with silhouette bingo, a skull-duggery challenge, pumpkin carving and craft activities to make the scariest pop-up ghost will keep everyone occupied.

In the vast 18^th century walled gardens Halloween visitors will be able to pit their wits against the ghosts and play phantom football, or test their knowledge and try the mind-boggling code breaker trail.  Spooky body parts and frightful factoids are all to be found in the state rooms of Holkham Hall where children can make pencil ghosts and join in the fun. In the magnificent setting of the Old Kitchen, ‘Kiddycook’ will be on hand to help younger visitors decorate their own tasty Halloween cookie with some gruesome additions.

Everyone is encouraged to come dressed up for the occasion and can have their outfits enhanced by ghoulish face painting to add some gory grazes and weeping wounds providing a touch of the macabre.  A fancy dress parade will take place each day at 12 noon.

Holkham’s Halloween events run from October 26 to 31. The hall will be open on the Sunday, Monday and Thursday. All other areas will be open every day. For further information and admission prices go to http://www.holkham.co.uk/html/Halloween2014.html

Book a special appointment with Father Christmas at Holkham just days before he goes on his rounds delivering presents

Father Christmas and his helpers

Children will have the chance to enjoy a very special appointment just days before Christmas when Holkham Hall presents an audience with the great man himself. 

Father Christmas will be joined by his cheeky team of mischievous elves. Under the watchful eye of Mother Christmas, he will entertain the young audience with tales of wonderment and magic in the magnificently decorated and grand state room, the Saloon at Holkham Hall.  The ukulele- playing elves will have a colourful and musical repertoire to add to the entertainment.  Each child’s visit will reach an exciting finale with their very own personalised gift from Father Christmas. 

Father Christmas At Holkham

The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21 and is recommended for children aged 12 years and under who will receive a personalised present. A special Christmas pop-up shop in the hall will give visitors the opportunity to browse for last-minute presents and festive treats after the performance.

The seasonal visit by Father Christmas is a highlight of a magical month of entertainment at Holkham, from the moment the doors open in early December. In the days leading up to his visit, there will be a magnificent line-up of festive activities and events, guaranteed to give everyone the very best Christmas experience before the big day. 

Visitors will be spoilt for choice with Holkham’s exciting festive programme that sees the hall traditionally decorated for Christmas for two weekends on December 6/7 and 13/14, when the fun-loving ukulele elves will join in the merriment, along with costumed characters, music and carol singing, story-telling and art activities, face painting and carriage rides, as well as festive food and drink and an opportunity to browse the Holkham gift shop for that perfect Christmas present.

The Marble Hall is the perfect backdrop for two evening musical concerts on December 5 and 13 and a weekend of Christmas theatre with Charles Dickens’ classic novel, ‘Great Expectations’ on December 20 and 21.

The return of Holkham’s popular mid-week candlelight tours of the hall will ensure there is something for all tastes.

Full details of Holkham’s Christmas programme in December and opportunities to book tickets online can be found by visiting www.holkham.co.uk

Musical Drama takes Centre Stage at Holkham

Two glittering opera performances at one of Norfolk’s most prestigious and atmospheric venues will ensure opera fans can enjoy a wonderful evening of musical entertainment staged by a national production company without having to leave the county.

The elegant backdrop of the Marble Hall at Holkham will set the scene for Diva Opera’s performances of Mozart’s Don Giovanni on July 4 and

The Marble Hall at Holkham

Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann on July 5.  Opera goers will be able to soak up the wonderful ambience in the magnificent backdrop of this historic venue which lends itself so well to chamber opera productions with its edifying acoustics.

The black tie evenings will commence with a champagne reception and everyone is encouraged to bring their own picnics to enjoy during a one hour interval.  Weather permitting, the beautiful terraces on the west side of Holkham Hall, with outstanding views across the lake, will be the setting for dining in style.

Diva Opera has performed all over the world including Russia, Japan and Venice and in a notable star studded performance of the party scene from Die Fledermaus at The Royal Albert Hall they were joined by José Carreras and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. 

Tickets for each performance cost £80 and can be obtained by telephoning the ticket office on 01328 713111.  Further information can be found by visiting www.holkham.co.uk

Holkham unveils summer season of popular adaptations for outdoor theatre productions

The open air theatre productions at Holkham Hall are a firm favourite with local people and visitors alike and this summer promises to be as popular as ever with an exciting programme of family entertainment on offer.

Holkam Theatre Productions

Set in the beautiful backdrop of the courtyard in Holkham Park each outdoor theatre production has a unique atmosphere created by theatre goers enjoying their picnics in a buzz of excitement and expectancy of what is to come.   A range of touring companies will be performing some carefully selected productions of comedy and drama with captivating and beautiful adaptations of some of our best loved traditional titles. 

The season begins on August 5 with the Chapterhouse Theatre Company performing The Jungle Book with all the favourite animal characters brought to life in an enchanting and fun-filled musical show for children of all ages.   Join Mowgli on his wonderful adventures with the loveable and wise Baloo the Bear, the powerful panther Bagheera, not to mention mischievous monkeys and the terrifying tiger Shere Khan.

On August 13 the Blunderbus Theatre Company will be performing Hugless Douglas, a new show which brings this well-known tale to life with an irresistible blend of music, puppetry and high energy storytelling.  Hugless Douglas is a huggable, lovable young brown bear who wakes up one morning in need of a hug. Little Cubs aged 3 - 7 years old will love this heart warming tale, but grown-up bears will have lots of fun too. Join Douglas in this happy show, full of laughter, sing- along songs and plenty of opportunities to join in!

On August 20 Alice will be bringing her adventures in Wonderland to Holkham with the help of the Cambridge Touring Company.  This ever -popular children’s fairy tale is presented with a lively and hilarious performance brought to life with music, dancing and a host of pranks that appeal to young and old alike.  Children are invited to come along in their best ‘wonderland’ fashion.

The final production will take place on August 27 when The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will be performing one of Shakespeare’s classic plays, Romeo and Juliet.  With action from the outset, jealousy, comedy, murder, banishment and the most famous balcony in the history of theatre, the audience can settle back and be swept up in the romance, drama and passion of the Bard’s famous tragedy.   

Further information on the productions including ticket prices can be found on the website www.holkham.co.uk/html/events.html.