Art comes naturally in Norfolk
By Kate Simon
One of the highlights of my travels around Britain is an annual trip to Houghton Hall, near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, to see the summer exhibition.
It usually focuses on a major sculptor – Richard Long and Anish Kapoor have exhibited in recent years, although my favourite show was in 2019, when the colossal abstract works of Henry Moore were placed against the sharp symmetry of the Palladian hall (pictured). Magnificent.
Houghton, built in 1722 for the man dubbed Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, is now the home of his descendant, the Marquess of Cholmondeley. Lord Cholmondeley is responsible for the permanent outdoor collection of contemporary sculpture on display in the grounds, with pieces by the likes of Rachel Whiteread and Anya Gallaccio.
It all began in 2000, when he commissioned the American artist James Turrell to create Skyspace, a wooden box in the trees, reached via a long, winding ramp, with an aperture in its ceiling that frames the sky above. Sitting inside the structure, watching the heavens, is a powerful experience and I wouldn’t mind booking one of the upcoming Skyspace Evenings (13, 14 May), to watch the change of light from day to night through the opening.
I’m told that there will be no big sculptural reveal at Houghton this year. That’s a shame. But my friends at Contemporary and Country – who first alerted me to this cultural must-see a few years ago – will be making their annual pilgrimage to Houghton’s stables to show and sell art and handmade objects curated from established artists and makers in the east of England. This year, gardening is the theme of C&C’s pop-up show, Avant Gardeners (1 May-25 Sept), chosen not least to celebrate the designed landscapes at the hall on its 300th anniversary.
Last week, C&C opened an exhibition space at The Granary Gallery in Jarrold department store in Norwich, featuring work that includes paintings by one of my favourite local artists, Katarzyna Coleman. Catch them, too, at River’s Edge, (7-19 June), another pop-up exhibition at BallroomArts in Aldeburgh.
And if you’re headed east this summer, call by the annual Raveningham Sculpture Trail (31 July-5 Sept). Freshly commissioned each year by the artist Sarah Cannell, the trail is laid out among meadows, gardens and woodlands at her family home, Castell Farm, near Beccles, another chance to experience contemporary art in a rural setting.
Phil’s beer notes
Close to Houghton Hall, the Rose & Crown at Harpley specialises in cask ales from Norfolk brewers. Right in the heart of Norwich, round the corner from Jarrold, you’ll find St Andrews Brew House, which has its own microbrewery on site. Aldeburgh is within striking distance of The Anchor at Walberswick, one of best places to drink Adnams beers. Just outside Beccles, St Peter’s Brewery is open for tours at 11am and 1pm on Saturdays.
Photo © Dean Ryan