NHER 1802 (Designed Landscape record) - Holkham Park

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Summary

One of the most important landscape parks in England, originally laid out in the 1720s by William Kent, who also designed many of the buildings with the park. In 1762 Lancelot 'Capability' Brown worked on naturalising some aspects of the park's design, and William Emes and Humphry Repton also worked here during the late 18th century. In the mid 19th century the formal gardens around the Hall were laid out, the park was extended, and new plantations created. The remains of earlier formal gardens are visible as parchmarks on aerial photographs in the parkland surrounding the house.

Protected Status/Designation

Registered Park or Garden (I) 1000461: Holkham Hall

Location

Map sheet	TF84SE
Civil Parish	HOLKHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
Civil Parish	WELLS NEXT THE SEA, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

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Full Description

Important as last surviving complete formal park of its size in Norfolk.
Park wall added 1833 to 1839 is the longest in Britain.

County number formerly included those structures built as ancillary to the park design: Coke monument, Obelisk, Temple, Octagon, Almshouse Gates, Church Lodge, Mausoleum, Model Farm, West Lodge, Great Barn, Triumphal Arch, Palmers Gate, Longlands Farm most of which designed by Wyatt.
These are all now recorded under separate numbers.

The park was first laid out by Kent in the 1720s.
Eames and Repton as well as Brown worked here.
EH Historic Parkland Grade I, see (S1).
See extract from (S1) in file and (S2).
E. Rose, (NLA) 9 November 1990.

See Holkham Estate Heritage Landscape Management Plan produced in 1994 (S9)-(S14), particularly Williamson's history of the park (S13).

Landscape management plan 1998 in file.

19 July 1994. NLA air photography (S3).
Air photos showing views of:
Context 11 - garden cottage
Context 13 - triumphal arch
Context 15 - Longlands Park.
And of the park and avenue itself.
S. Massey (NLA), 19 April 2001.

6 March 1995. NLA Air Photography (S4).
Parchmarks visible.
M. Brennand, 23 April 2001.

19 July 1994. NLA air photography (S5).
Photographs show parchmarks of relict formal garden features and walls, to south of hall.
Also photographed walled garden and views of park.
S. Massey (NLA), 24 April 2001.

28 June 1996. NLA air photography (S6).
Parchmarks and earthworks visble to north and south of hall.
These may be remnants of garden features as previously suggested, although it is more likely that these relate ot the pre-park structures of medieval Holkham village, which was removed prior to the emparking.
S. Massey (NLA), 28 September 2001.

19 July 1996. NLA air photography (S7).
Parchmarks of garden features visible to south of hall, photographs also taken of monument in Straithe wood.
S. Massey (NLA), 1 May 2001.

2004.
Heritage Protection Reform pilot.
See (S8) in file.
D. Gurney (NLA), 7 July 2004.

May-June 2012. Walkover Survey.
Archaeological Earthwork Rapid Identification Survey of Holkham Estate woodland, much of which lies within the park.
See report (S15) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 September 2018.

Associated Sources (35)

--- SNF71692 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D, NLA. 1984. NHER TF 8643B-C (NLA 143/AVC9-10) 4-APR-1984.
--- SNF71693 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D, NLA. 1984. NHER TF 8839A-C (NLA 143/ AVA5-7) 4-APR-1984.
--- SNF71691 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D, NLA. 1984. NHER TF 8841C (NLA143/AVA23) 4-APR-1984.
--- SNF71694 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D, NLA. 1985. NHER TF 8743G,H (NLA 164/ AYX25-26) 10-JUL-1985.
--- SNF71681 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D, NLA. 1986. NHER TF 8842P, AD-AE (NLA 176/DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3) 27 JUL 1988.
--- SNF71682 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D, NLA. 1988. NHER TF 8842AH-AL (NLA 208/DJJ10, DJJ11, DJJ12, DJJ13) 27- JUL-1988.
--- SNF71690 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D, NLA. 1992. NHER TF 8842U-AC (NLA306/GKL8-14) 29-JUN-1992.
--- SNF10960 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A (AAF). 1977. NHER TF8442D-E (NLA 306/GKL15, GKM1) 15-APR-1977.
--- SNF49860 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1997. TF 8742ABQ - ABV.
--- SNF2647 Article in Serial: 1980. [unknown]. NIAS Journal. Vol II, no 5.
--- SNF8808 Fiche: Exists.
--- SNF5677 Monograph: Davison, A. 1988. Six Deserted Villages in Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 44. p 71.
--- SNF7576 Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, B. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 419-420.
--- SNF48298 Monograph: Williamson, T. 1998. Archaeology of the Landscape Park: Garden Design in Norfolk, England, c. 1680-1840. BAR (British Series). Vol 268. pp 59-72, 100.
--- SNF62326 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1982. [Articles on Holkham Hall]. 17 April.
--- SNF98465 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2015. Cash boost for bid to restore estate’s historic walled garden. 6 April.
--- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
--- SNF86236 Recording Form: Heywood, S. 1998. Norfolk County Council Site Record - Holkham park , Wall.
--- SNF8804 Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1> SNF51005 Designation: English Heritage. Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England..
<S10> SNF92573 Unpublished Report: Popham, J. 1994. Holkham Estate Heritage Landscape Management Plan. Volume 2. Appendices to Volume 1 (Part 2).
<S11> SNF92574 Unpublished Report: Popham, J. 1994. Holkham Estate Heritage Landscape Management Plan. Volume 3. Landscape Restoration Proposals.
<S12> SNF92575 Unpublished Report: Popham, J. 1994. Holkham Estate Heritage Landscape Management Plan. Volume 4. History (Part 1) Development of the Estate.
<S13> SNF92576 Unpublished Report: Williamson, T. 1994. Holkham Estate Heritage Landscape Management Plan. Volume 5. History (Part 2). The Park.
<S14> SNF92577 Unpublished Report: Tinsley, M. and MacMullen, D. 1994. Holkham Estate Heritage Landscape Management Plan. Volume 6. Tree Survey and Compartment Notes.
<S15> SNF99692 Unpublished Contractor Report: Cushion, B. 2012. Holkham Estate Woodland. Archaeological Earthwork Rapid Identification Survey. Brian Cushion Archaeological & Cartographical Surveyor.
<S2> SNF56525 Unpublished Report: Norfolk County Council. 1992. Inventory of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Norfolk. NCC Parks and Gardens Survey.
<S3> SNF48990 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TF8742/ABA - ABK; TF8839/F - J.
<S4> SNF48681 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A.. 1995. TF8842/ABB - ABL; TF8843/C,D.
<S5> SNF48937 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TF8842/ABY - ACD; TF8843/E; TF8742/ABL - ABP; TF8743/L.
<S6> SNF49830 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF 8842ACE - ACH; TF 8843.
<S6> SNF72268 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2009. Horticultural students help with garden restoration. 1 October.
<S7> SNF48949 Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF8842/ABW - ABX; TF 8843/F - G.
<S8> SNF54109 Unpublished Document: Oldnall, L.. 2004. Heritage Protection Reform Pilot Project. The Holkham Estate, Norfolk..
<S9> SNF80385 Unpublished Report: Popham, J. 1994. Holkham Estate Heritage Landscape Management Plan. Volume 2. Appendices to Volume 1 (Part 1).

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Record last edited

Feb 18 2025 2:11PM