Houghton Hall Summary

• Address: King's Lynn, PE31 6UE (Map)
• Tel: +44 (0)1485 528569
• Fax: +44 (0)1485 528167
• Owner: The Marquess of Cholmondeley
• Administrator: Susan Cleaver
• E-mail: Click here to contact
• Website: Go to the Houghton Hall website

Sir Robert died in 1745, followed shortly afterwards in 1751 by his son, Robert, 2nd Earl of Orford, their combined debts put the collection under threat and began four decades of decline under George, the 3rd Earl, culminating in the sale of the pictures to Catherine the Great of Russia.

However, at the end of the century, the 3rd Earl’s elderly uncle, by now the 4th Earl, and his chosen heir, George, 4th Earl and 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley, rescued the estate and the furniture. The estate then passed by direct descent to George, the 5th Marquess, who married the heiress Sybil Sassoon in 1913; he succeeded his father in 1923.

The 6th Marquess collected model soldiers from a young age, military history and regimental uniforms fascinated him, and his collection is on display in the Museum. The present Marquess inherited in 1990 – whilst dividing his time between Houghton and their other important home, Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire – he renewed all the services and carried out much work on the fabric of Houghton, laying greater emphasis on the times of Sir Robert Walpole, as well as commencing a major restoration of the kitchen garden.

For more information about the House, and what you can see in each room, view their extremely comprehensive Website.

Gardens:

The Award Winning 5-acre Walled Garden was completely renovated by the present Marquess as a memorial to his grandmother, Sybil Cholmondeley, in 1991. The walled garden has been divided by flowing yew hedges into 'rooms' each with an individual theme. The centre piece of the garden is a stunning double-sided herbaceous border stretching 120 metres from the glasshouses in the north to the Rustic Temple, designed by Julian and Isobel Bannerman, in the south: the planting in the border has been designed with 'hot' colours near the glasshouse to cooler 'blue' colours near the Temple.

The rose garden has over 150 varieties of English roses, Italian statues and a sunken fountain, the central box-edged parterre is based on William Kent's design for the ceiling in the White Drawing Room. The kitchen garden, dominated by a massive fruit cage designed by the Bannermans, provides a wonderful collection of fruit and vegetables, with 77 varieties of apples, cherries, currant, vines, strawberries and even kiwi fruit. Other areas included pleached limes, cherry walk, wisteria pergola, croquet lawn and other grassy areas planted with plum trees and spring and summer bulbs. The garden is interspersed with statues and fountains, the most recent installation being 'Waterflame' designed by Jeppe Hein.

The Marquess of Cholmondeley has commissioned a number of Contemporary Sculptures from artists of world renown including James Turrell, Richard Long, Stephen Cox, Zhan Wang and Anya Gallaccio who has designed the Sybil Beech Hedge which represents her signature.

The Soldier Museum:

The 6th Marquess started collecting model soldiers as a schoolboy. He was fascinated by the campaigns of the Napoleonic period, and had great knowledge of the various battle and parade formations, and of regimental uniforms. Lord Cholmondeley served in the Royal Dragoons during the Second World War, when he was awarded the Military Cross, and later transferred to the Grenadier Guards for a further three years after the war.

However, it was not until the 1950s, after he and his wife had settled down at Cholmondeley, the family estate in Cheshire, that he turned again to his soldier collection. He started ordering figures from several sources in London, often commissioning whole scenes to his specification. There are now examples of many different models in the museum, all painted with great attention to detail.

While the largest tableau is a reconstruction of the Battle of Waterloo, with the figures of Wellington and Napolean standing on opposite hills, many other famous battles and periods of military history are represented. For example, there are scenes from the Franco-Prussian Wars, and two parade scenes depicting the German and British armies c. 1880. The backgrounds to many of the tableaux were painted by Ian Weekley, and were commissioned when Lord Cholmondeley moved the collection to Houghton for the opening of the museum.

Opening Times - 2012

• 8th April - 30th September: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday & Bank Holiday Monday, 11.30 am - 5.30 pm
• House Open 1.30 - 5.00 pm (last admission 4.30 pm)

Admission Prices - 2012

• Adult - £10.00
• Child (5-16) - £3.50
• Family (2+3) - £24.00

Excluding House:

• Adult - £7.00
• Child (5-16) - £2.50
• Family (2+3) - £20.00

Groups (20+):

• Adult - £9.00
• Child - £2.50

Excluding House:

• Adult - £6.00
• Child - £1.50

Special visits can be arranged during their open season any day except Saturdays

More information on the garden can be found on The Gardens Guide.

Further information including opening times and prices

Image Gallery

Events for Houghton Hall

• The Diamond Jubilee Exhibition - 08 April 2012 to 27 September 2012
  This is a display of spectacular historic uniforms used in the Coronations of William IV, George IV and Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the The Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
• The Subaru Houghton International Horse Trials - 24 May 2012 to 27 May 2012
  A great family day out with Circus Workshops, Falconry Display and an International 3 day event including Young Event Horse and Team and Individual Dressage. More than 50 trade stands, to include country clothing, equestrian supplies, jewellery, horseboxes and many local products. Plus catering stands with something to suit all tastes. Not to mention lurcher and terrier racing, a novelty dog show and for the children there's a bouncy castle and face painting.
• June Glade Festival - 14 June 2012 to 17 June 2012
  A festival of electronic music from all over the world including techno, house, breaks, psy trance, dub, ambient and more. Acts include Sven Vath, Andy C, Rusko, Vitalic, Pretty Lights, Foreign Beggars, Marc Romboy, Toddla and lots more. There will also be a market, sound systems and cafes such as Chai Wallahs, Come and Play, One Tribe World Stage, Punjabi Lounge, and also full camping facilities, car park, licensed bars and food stalls.
• Wyndstock - A Midsummer’s Night Ball - 30 June 2012 to 01 July 2012
  A country weekend with music, big bonfires, a Guy Making Competition, fireworks, games, giant toys, country walks, dancing, feasting, proper loos, old movies, good wine, cider, ale, strong cocktails, local food at reasonable prices, crayfish, tours of the house & a few surprises and possibly a shuttle bus a lovely sandy beach nearby.
• National Garden Scheme - 01 July 2012
  11.30 am - 5.30 pm: The Gardens will be open in aid of NGS charities. Also a Plant Stall, Restaurant and Gift Shop. The House will be open for tours from 1.30 - 5 pm.

• Race For Life - 17 July 2012
  7 pm: This is the largest fundraising event by women-only in the UK. Women of all ages come together for these events to walk, jog or run depending on their fitness levels to raise money to help beat cancer. Some take part to celebrate surviving a cancer experience, others in memory of a loved one and some just in the hope of a cancer-free future for all. Click through to Houghton Hall's website for details of how to enter this 5K event.
• Wyndstock - The Country House Ball & Garden Party - 25 August 2012 to 27 August 2012
  A country weekend with music, big bonfires, a Guy Making Competition, fireworks, games, giant toys, country walks, dancing, feasting, proper loos, old movies, good wine, cider, ale, strong cocktails, local food at reasonable prices, crayfish, tours of the house & a few surprises and possibly a shuttle bus a lovely sandy beach nearby.

Your Reviews of Houghton Hall

Anne Bradley (26 August 2008)

I visited the place yesterday, and had a very enjoyable time. The gardens and museum had a lot of interesting displays, and the house was beautifully presented. The guides were particularly helpful, and were able to give us details of the items in the rooms. The soldier museum was very pleasing, and the information leaflet was of great value in understanding the scenes. Altogether, a place I would recommend for a visit by a family, or adults seeking a stately home experience.

Additional Info for Houghton Hall

• Parks
• Gardens
• Playgrounds
• Dogs allowed
• Disabled Access
• Education
• Refreshments
• Picnics
• Guides
• Meals Available
• Gifts
• Nursery
• Shop
• Car Parking

Heritage Groups

• Historic Houses Association

Credit Cards Accepted

• Visa

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