The Bygones Museum and History of Farming Exhibition invite visitors to step back in time.

The Bygones Museum, with its exhibition of domestic and agricultural memorabilia, complements the grandeur of the Hall and allows visitors to relive memories, or learn about life in times gone by.

The adjacent History of Farming Exhibition illustrates how a great estate such as Holkham works and has evolved.


Bygones Museum

The Bygones Museum is housed in the stable block built by the second Earl in the 1850s to accommodate the carriages, carriage horses and riding horses of visitors to the Hall, but which, with the arrival of the motorcar, gradually fell into disuse.

In 1979, the buildings took on a new lease of life when Lord Leicester acquired from Dick Joice, host of the popular 'Bygones' series on Anglia TV, his vast collection of old agricultural and domestic items, for which he was seeking a permanent home.

Today, the Museum houses a vast collection of more than 4,000 fascinating exhibits ranging from mechanical toys, household implements and agricultural tools, to vintage cars and massive steam engines; dating from the Victorian period to the mid-1900s. Informative displays further highlight how our homes, lifestyle and various trades have changed over the past century.


History of Farming Exhibition

This exhibition is designed to help understand a little more of how a great estate works and how it has evolved.

In the 18th century, Norfolk was the cradle of the Agrarian Revolution with great landowners such as Thomas William Coke, first Earl of Leicester (of the second creation), known affectionately as 'Coke of Norfolk' and Charles Viscount Townshend, known as 'Turnip' Townshend, revolutionising all aspects of farming.

Along with others such as the fifth Duke of Bedford and the agriculturist Robert Bakewell (1725-1795), these landowners established the Royal Agricultural Society and brought all farming interests together.

The exhibition features, among many other displays, the model of a farm built by Coke on the estate, complete with all the buildings relating to the new methods developed at Holkham. There is also an illuminated explanation of the four-course rotation farming system, which was used and written into all Holkham tenancy agreements.

This exhibition, which is designed to entertain as well as to inform, is open free to all visitors.


The Lake Cruise

The lake, for the most part, follows the line of the original tidal creek, which was dammed and excavated to create what is now a very large and beautiful stretch of water. It is a haven to wildlife and home to thousands of fish and eels.

In the summer months, visitors can enjoy a cruise in the electric launch, lasting approximately 25 minutes. Our knowledgeable boatman will give a comprehensive commentary on the lake, its surrounding setting and wildlife and will be very happy to answer passengers questions - we challenge you to test his knowledge.


Click here to view all opening times and admission prices.