 The cost of the construction of Holkham is thought to have been in the region of £ 90 @,@ 000 . This vast cost nearly ruined the heirs of the 1st Earl , but had the result that they were financially unable to alter the house to suit the whims of taste . Thus , the house has remained almost untouched since its completion in 1764 . Today , this perfect , if severe , example of Palladianism is at the heart of a thriving private estate of some 25 @,@ 000 acres ( 100 km2 ) . Though open to the public on Sundays , Mondays and Thursdays , it is still the family home of the Earls of Leicester of Holkham . 
