Holkham Hall is an 18th century country house located near the village of Holkham, on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It was built by first Earl of Leicester, Thomas Coke (born in 1697). A cultivated and wealthy man, Coke made his 'Grand Tour' between 1712 and 1718. Coke returned to England with a newly acquired library as well as an art and sculpture collection with which to furnish his mansion.

The hall is constructed in the Palladian style (after the Venetian architect Palladio). This style is based on balancing the symmetry, perspective, and proportion observed in construcitng the classical temples of the ancient Greeks and Romans. In 1734, the foundations were laid. Building continued for thirty years with completion of the great house in 1764.

It is the ancestral home of the Coke family, the Earls of Leicester of Holkham. The Hall is opulently decorated and furnished. The main entrance is through the magnificnet 'Marble' Hall, which leads to the piano nobile and onto the first floor and state rooms. Click on link to read more about Holkham Hall.