Houghton Hall Norfolk

Today we went to Houghton Hall to see the 70 or so paintings returned from Russia for an exhibition. It is a story about cultural asset stripping in the grand style!
A little over 300 years ago the debt ridden grandson of Sir Robert Walpole, England's first Prime Minister, sold off to Catherine the Great the great art collection amassed by his grandfather. These paintings helped to form the core collection of the Hermitage in St Petersburg. The asking price was £40,555, plus the bonus of a gift of a portrait of Catherine herself which has hung above the mantlepiece of one of the great state rooms ever since.
The paintings have been returned for this exhibition and are hung in the original places they would have been in Sir Robert Walpole's day.
Apparently Sir Robert Walpole also liked good things as well as art. According to a note 6,264 bottles of good wine were drunk in 1733. we know this because there is a note saying the empties were returned to the wine merchant!
The exhibition was fabulous and the Hall is well worth a visit with its fantastic state rooms. It is generally considered to be one of the finest Palladian houses and was built to house the paintings.
Today It is the home of the Marquess of Cholmondeley who is a direct descendent of Sir Robert walpole.