Palatial mansion at the centre of 25,000 acres of park and agricultural land.
Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AB
Facilities
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Charged parking
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Easily accessible without car
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EV charging options
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Facilities for children
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Parkland / open spaces
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Pet friendly
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Picnic area
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Shop
- Guide dogs welcome
- Accessible parking
- Access statement available
- Accessible toilets
- Wheelchair ramps/routes
Steeped in history, Holkham Hall on the north Norfolk coast has the perfect setting; surrounded by rolling parkland, rich in wildlife.
This magnificent eighteenth-century Palladian hall is home is to the Earls of Leicester and the family takes great pride in sharing the house and its treasures with visitors.
The state rooms offer superb collections of ancient statuary, original furniture, tapestries and paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Gaspar Poussin and Gainsborough.
Visit the Holkham Stories Experience and find out all about the estate’s 400-year past, living present and innovative future. Aimed at both adults and children alike, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Dress up in a Holkham tweed jacket and bowler hat, let our ‘talking tools’ tell you what they were used for, sit back, relax and enjoy our ‘Holkham Year’ film. Learn how the very bricks used to build Holkham Hall were made here on the estate. Learn all about the Holkham Sustainability Wonder project.
Explore the children’s woodland adventure play area, hire bikes or a boat, and enjoy the colourful plantings and scents in the historic walled garden. Get your feet off the ground on our Ropes Course, and embark on a treetop adventure over wobbly crossings, swinging bridges, see saws and best of all zip wires to get you safely back on the ground.
Finish off your visit by treating yourself in our Courtyard Café, where we serve only the best, locally-sourced food and our gift shop, showcasing the work of local artisan suppliers.
Throughout the year we run a fantastic programme of events including outdoor theatre, open air cinema, tractor trailer tours, pond dipping, deer walks, specialist workshops, opera, nature reserve walks, talks and guided tours, special seasonal events during school holidays and a truly special Christmas season.
Important information: opening info is generated by artificial intelligence; check specific attraction details before travelling.
The indicator above will show ‘open’ when the public have any kind of access to any part of this property. That could be the park, a shop, or a special event, and may not reflect regular admission times to the main attraction. Always consult the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling to check that the attraction you are interested in is open.
Opening Times and Attractions at Holkham
Holkham offers a variety of attractions and events throughout the year. Below is a detailed summary of the opening times and conditions for each attraction and event:
Holkham Hall
- Open for Christmas from 28th November to 30th December.
- Special event: "Holkham Hall by Candlelight" from 27th to 30th December.
Holkham Park
- Open daily from 10am to 4pm until 2nd January (closed on Christmas Day).
Visitor Reception
- Open daily until 4th January 2026, except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve.
Courtyard Gift Shop
- Open daily until 4th January 2026.
- Special hours: 10am to 12 noon on Christmas Eve, 10am to 4pm on Boxing Day and 27th December to 3rd January.
Woodland Play Area
- Open daily from 10am to 4pm until 2nd January (closed on Christmas Day).
- Subject to closure during inclement weather.
Courtyard Café
- Open daily from 10am.
- Special hours: 10am to 12 noon on Christmas Eve, 10am to 4pm on Boxing Day and 27th December to 3rd January.
Holkham Park Car Park
- Open daily from 10am to 4pm (closed on Christmas Day).
Holkham Stories and Walled Garden
- Closed until March 2026.
Cycles, Ropes, and Boats
- Closed until March 2026.
The Lookout
- Open daily from 10am to 3pm.
- Special hours: 9am to 3pm from 20th to 23rd December, 9am to 12 noon on Christmas Eve, and 9am to 3pm on Boxing Day and 27th December to 3rd January.
Wells Beach Café
- Open daily from 10am to 4pm.
- Special hours: 9am to 4pm from 20th to 23rd December, 9am to 12 noon on Christmas Eve, and 9am to 4pm on Boxing Day and 27th December to 3rd January.
Wells Beach Café Pizza Hatch
- Open daily from 12pm to 4pm.
- Closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Victoria
- Open daily for lunch and dinner. Pre-booking is advised.
Car Parks
- Holkham Beach Car Park (Lady Anne’s Drive): Open daily from 6am to 5pm.
- Holkham Village Car Park (Park Road): Open daily from 8am to 6pm.
- Wells Beach Car Park (Beach Road): Open daily from 6am to 6pm.
- Wells Town Car Park (Freeman Street): Open daily from 8am to 4pm, closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.
For more details on events, attractions, and facilities, please refer to the specific sections above.
Historic Houses members enjoy free access to the house and gardens (though, like all visitors who arrive by car, they are subject to a £6 parking charge).
Prices vary depending on how you fill your day. Please visit the Holkham website to plan your visit.
A visit to Holkham is a perfect excursion for groups, organisations, societies and coach parties and we are happy to liaise with tour operators, travel companies and social secretaries to create an individual package for a visit.
We offer private guided tours of Holkham Hall to pre-booked groups when the hall is closed to the public.
Encouraging schools to explore and learn from the many opportunities and advantages the estate has to offer, we welcome all types of educational visits.
The Hall, Walled Garden, Parkland, Nature Reserves and wildlife provide fascinating subjects for both a National Curriculum focus and for the general experience and enjoyment of pupils.
The aim is to make visits relevant, not only from an educational perspective, but also for school children to learn a little bit of our history and to understand the workings of an estate that has had to adapt with times.
Contact us for more information:
01328 713112
- Guide dogs welcome
- Accessible parking
- Access statement available
- Accessible toilets
- Wheelchair ramps/routes
Getting here
Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AB
NB: All parking incurs a charge – including for Historic Houses members.
Holkham is easily reached by public transport, though, and rewards those who visit car-free. Consider leaving the car at home next time you visit.
The Coastliner bus servicing King’s Lynn to Cromer route stops in Holkham Village 3/4 mile from the hall. See traveline.info for timetables.
The nearest train station is King’s Lynn (approximately 27 miles away), which has hourly trains running from King’s Cross, London via Cambridge and Ely.
Sustrans Bike Route No. 1 passes through Holkham park.
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