[2] The village of Holkham is located on the coast road (the A149) between Wells-next-the-Sea and Burnham Overy Staithe.

The creek succumbed to land reclamation, much of which created the grounds of the estate, starting in 1639 and ending in 1859 when the harbour at Wells was edged with a sea wall.

Aerial photographs show traces of the creek in the topsoil, and the lake to the west of the hall appears to be based on a remnant of it.

Now the village serves principally as the main entrance to the hall and deer park, and to Lady Anne's Drive which leads to the beach.

Among the houses of the village are several estate-owned businesses, including a hotel ('The Victoria Inn') and art gallery.

The hall, now the home of the 8th Earl, is surrounded by an attractive park, with herds of red and fallow deer, a lake that was once a tidal creek, several monuments and drives, and its own church.

Holkham railway station was located about halfway along Lady Anne's Drive (to the east).

[4] The line made up part of the Great Eastern Railway network, which ran from Wells-next-the-Sea, through Holkham and on to Burnham Market.

Holkham Freshmarsh is a series of wet meadows which sit inland from the pine belt, and north of the A149.

The marshes are important for their wintering population of pink-footed geese, and have been designated a National Nature Reserve.

[7] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the years 449–454 records the arrival of large numbers of Angles and Jutes under Hengist and Horsa, defeating the British king, Vortigern, in 455.

A similar displacement was true of Saxon culture in south-east Britain, diagnosed by saucer brooches.

During restoration work at least six 12th and 13th century coffin lids with foliated crosses were found on site and are now on show inside the church.

[citation needed] A major renovation of the church was completed in 1869 at the expense of Juliana, the wife of the 2nd Earl of Leicester.

Inside the parish church there are several other memorials to various members of the Coke family of Holkham Hall.