#376: WONDER - Holkham Estate

WONDER is the name given to the sustainability strategy of the Holkham Estate.

It is the result of work by Jake Fiennes and others and is kindly shared on the webpage linked to above. All country estates require careful management, and some have the extra dynamic of large numbers of visitors to manage.

The place for biodiversity depends on the decisions made by landowners and Jake has been very transparent about the way that he leaves space for nature and his book which I have a copy of: 'Land Healer' tells the full picture.

Havell, Robert, 1769-1832, A series of picturesque views of noblemen's & gentlemen's seats : with historical and descriptive accounts of each subject / , London : Published July 1, 1823 by R. Havell, Chapel Strt. Tottenham Cout Road, 1823..

Public Domain.

Source: https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/orbis:3335973

Jake Fiennes is the Director of Conservation for the Holkham Estate at the moment, and I have posted separately on the blog about his book 'Land Healer'

A history of the Parish.

You can also check out their other work on the Holkham Estate.

Education programmes for Geography

Coastal Processes and Management – discover the impact of coastal processes has on landscape at Wells and Holkham. Learn what Shoreline Management Plans are in place and at what cost. What does the future have in store?

Stiffkey River Study – access the River Stiffkey safely and conduct fieldwork techniques to discover how fluvial processes affect velocity, depth, wetted perimeter and gradient.

Sand Dune Succession – undertake practical fieldwork collecting both abiotic and biotic data of an example of Primary Succession along a transect from embryo dunes into the pine woodland. Measurements include slope gradient, soil analysis, species diversity and abundance.

Conservation Management – with nearly a million visitors a year, how do we manage Holkham National Nature Reserve? Learn how higher level stewardship and tourism fund this unique work, protecting wildlife for future generations.

Business, Leisure and Tourism – tourism now accounts for over 70% of the estate’s income. Take a look at the operational side of the business, Holkham Enterprises, which hosts 200,000 visitors to the park each year. Marketing, catering, event management, customer service and retail are all key to this diversification success.

It's important that those who are planning on teaching the new specification start to look for examples of managing the landscape like this.