New visitor facilities at Holkham for 2016: The Laundry

Thursday, 14 May 2015

The Laundry

Redeveloping what we know as the former pottery building into an events venue will not be the first time that this iconic Holkham building has seen a change of use. Here are the plans for the laundry, built to deal with the washing from the hall. The laundry was situated at the east end of the building in what, until recently, became Holkham's Gift Shop.

Being so well situated at the courtyard end of the building, good use was made of the open space as a drying area. Here are Molly and Mary, two of Holkham's laundry maids, surrounded by the many washing lines.

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New Visitor Facilities for 2016

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 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.