An A to Z of the Chiswick House Archives: H is for Holkham Hall
Why write about Holkham Hall, over 200km away in Norfolk, when writing an A-Z from the Chiswick archives? Volunteer archivist Cluny Wells explains…
There are two reasons for including Holkham in my A-Z.
- William Kent and Lord Burlington were both involved in the architectural design of the two properties.
- It is so similar to Chiswick House, just on a much larger scale. The Front of the Hall has the same six Palladian columns and, according to London Luminaries Trustee Ricky Pound, when you stand inside the Statue Gallery ‘the similarities to the Gallery at Chiswick are startling.’
The origins of Holkham Hall
The construction of Holkham Hall started in 1734 by Thomas Coke (pronounced Cook), the 1st Earl of Leicester. The Coke family have lived in Holkham ever since.
Thomas Coke was descended from Sir Edward Coke, a brilliant 16th century Norfolk lawyer, who had invested wisely in land. Whilst on a six-year Grand Tour, Thomas met and become friendly with William Kent in Rome. Thomas took formal lessons in architecture, and he became passionate about Palladio’s style.
After his return to England, Thomas came of age and married Lady Margaret Tufton. Almost as soon as the wedding was over he started making plans to build a large Palladian house on the family estate, near the existing house known as Wheatley. This had been a dream of his since his teens.
It seems that the general ideas for Holkham were first put together by four people – Thomas Coke, Matthew Brettingham, his bricklayer and later on his architect, Richard Boyle, the 3rd Earl of Burlington and William Kent. Who contributed what is unclear.
Coke, unlike the other three, was only interested in building his own house, not in searching for other commissions, or his work being compared to other architects’ work. The two Earls seem to have spent time discussing ideas of the House which would be built at Holkham, and both Kent and Brettingham drew plans of the exteriors which look remarkably similar.
The two main changes from Kent’s planned elevations, when built, were the removal of the rustication from all the wall surfaces above the basement on both fronts, and removal of the attic storey windows from the South Front (in effect this meant losing a bedroom floor).
Construction commences
On the day before the building began, on 13th March 1734, Coke sent a letter to Brettingham stating that ‘our whole design is vastly approved of by Ld Burlington’. This implies that Burlington had played a role in the ideas discussed by Brettingham and Coke, and that what mattered to Coke was to gain the blessing of someone he admired – Lord Burlington – before the work started.
The plans of the house comprised a central building surrounded by four wings, linked by corridors, and Coke decided to start work on the Family Wing first, gradually working on the other sections of the building when he had available funds. The Family Wing was finished in 1740, while the kitchen remained in the old Manor House linked to it by a covered way until the new kitchen was ready in the new Kitchen Wing (1758). The South Front and Chapel Wing were then built. The last part of the building was the Strangers’ Wing (for guests). Building sped up by 1753, following the death of his only, childless son.
The Statue Gallery was completed by 1753 (shown above) with the window of the Tribune at its southern end. Thomas Coke not only wanted all the design and details to look good, he also wanted his home to be comfortable and convenient for all. Guests were still made welcome in various parts of the house even before the Strangers’ Wing was ready for their use. Folding beds in passages could be made use of, and building work could carry on. Building did not follow a continuous sequence, although the aim generally was to complete the carcass and roofing so that interior work could happen under cover.
Interior design
Kent was directly involved in the interior designs for the family rooms and the grand entrance, known as The Marble Hall. The Hall was made mainly of pink Staffordshire alabaster, with inspiration coming from several sources: the ancient Roman Temple of Venus and Roma, the Egyptian Hall described by Vitruvius, Palladio’s design of the church of the Redentore in Venice and the chapel at Versailles. Unfortunately, Kent and Coke both died before the Hall was finished, and it was up to the Earl’s widow to oversee the completion of the works.
Kent’s involvement in the Landscape
Although it’s unclear how much of the Hall’s design is down to William Kent, his contributions to the wider landscape are much more definite. In 1744 Thomas Coke himself told a German visitor that the grounds were ‘all by Kent’. His first design in the 3,000 acre park, was to install an Obelisk, in 1729/30, at the highest point, which meant when coming in to the park from the South up the long avenue, one had a pointer to the land where Holkham House would be built, and nowadays offers the visitor is a great first view of the vast house.
His next design was the nearby Temple, in a wood, with a domed top-lit octagon, and a Doric portico. The Triumphal Arch, outside the park’s boundaries, was also designed by Kent, although not built until 1752, four years after his death. His drawing for the Arch still survives and in his whimsical way includes a sketch of a donkey.
The exterior of Holkham, continues to impress visitors with its nobility and restraint, evoking the grandeur of Ancient Rome, whilst the interiors, with the sumptuous finishes and decorations, give such pleasure.
Perhaps the joint inspiration of the four men behind the building of Holkham Hall has added to the splendour of the final result, even when there is some confusion, about who was responsible which element of the 30 year build.
Find out more about Holkham Hall & Estate
Sources:
Chiswick Archive
Holkham Archive
Holkham, the Official Guide. 2019.
Holkham, Christine Hiskey. 2016. Unicorn Press.
The Building of Holkham Hall: Newly Discovered Letters. Christine Hiskey. 1997.
Our Great Master Kent and the Design of Holkham Hall: A Reassessment. Frank Salmon. 2013.
William Kent. Timothy Mowl. 2007. Pimlico
National Art Library, in the V&A, South Kensington