Houghton Hall
No other stately home in the east of England combines heritage, history and tradition with contemporary art like Houghton Hall. If you loved Chatsworth and Blenheim Palace, you will also swoon for Houghton Hall. Go when one of their staggering summer sculpture exhibitions is installed on the grounds.
While Houghton Hall was originally built in the eighteenth century as the residence of Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, its significance today extends far beyond its celebrated Palladian architecture. Although Walpole's legendary collection of Old Master paintings — including works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Poussin — was sold to the Hermitage Museum in the eighteenth century, Houghton has re-established itself as one of Britain's most important destinations for contemporary art.
Its permanent Sculpture Park, set across the estate's extensive grounds, features major large-scale works by internationally renowned artists including James Turrell, Richard Long, Anish Kapoor, Stephen Cox and Antony Gormley, creating a remarkable dialogue between landscape, architecture and contemporary sculpture. Alongside this permanent collection, Houghton has hosted major exhibitions by artists such as Damien Hirst and Henry Moore, giving the estate a reputation that now rivals many dedicated contemporary art institutions. In East Anglia, few places combine historic grandeur with such an ambitious commitment to contemporary art at this scale.
