Holkham Hall

Phil visits the magnificent Holkham Hall - an 18th-century Palladian mansion in North Norfolk - to uncover how and why it was built. With unprecedented access to the archives, Phil reveals the mind-boggling quantities of materials, labour and money it took to create a little piece of Italy in this quiet corner of England - a project involving a 30-year build and three million bricks. He tells the story of Thomas Coke, the founder of the House, a reformed teenage gambler who fell in love with Italy on a grand tour. Coke built Holkham in the image of a Roman palace - and helped change the architectural landscape of Britain in the process. With a VIP tour from the current owner, Lord Leicester shows Phil the magnificent marbles in The Statue Gallery and the Old Masters in The Landscape Room, adding: 'You see people's jaws drop when they walk in'.