 Holkham Hall is one of England 's finest examples of the Palladian revival style of architecture , and the severity of its design is closer to Palladio 's ideals than many of the other numerous Palladian style houses of the period . The Holkham Estate , had been built up by Sir Edward Coke , the founder of his family fortune . He bought <unk> manor in 1609 , though never lived there , and many other purchases of land in Norfolk to endow to his six sons . His fourth son , John , inherited the land and married heiress Meriel Wheatley in 1612 . They made Hill Hall their home and by 1659 John had complete ownership of all three Holkham manors . It is the ancestral home of the Coke family , the Earls of Leicester of Holkham . 
