We chose what turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far, for our visit. We had arranged to meet friends, the painter Will Cutts and Caro, his wife, on this, only our second visit since the estate has been under the new ownership of the Ellis family. The Ellis's have continued the good work on the house following its extensive conservation and renovation conducted by Peter Sheppard and Keith Day, the previous owners, who poured huge amounts of money and love and care into what is an architectural jewell, rescuing the house for the nation.
Last year we were part of a group invited by the new owner to view the refurbishment of one of the salons on the first floor that included a newly acquired and restored portrait of Maria (Walpole) Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh by Thomas Gainsborough (picture below). The event set the trajectory for the Ellis family's ambition for Wolterton as a house that will host all kinds of cultural events.
This exhibition is the opening one for Wolterton Park's new Arts & Culture Programme. The programme seeks to populate the house with contemporary art, a new art commission, and artist residencies, aiming to create a dialogue between the old and the new.
Sea State, features new work by Maggi Hambling and Ro Robertson and is co-curated by Simon Oldfield and Gemma Rolls-Bentley. Nessie Stonebridge, has an installation of paintings and sculpture on the ground floor. She is an artist whose work we have shown a number of times, in King's Lynn and at Houghton Hall in West Norfolk.
The new display sits well in the classically proportioned rooms and the Ellis's have been thoughtful in how they've approached the launch. It is an easy experience, visiting this house and because it is not Nationl Trust the spectacular architecture and its position in the parkland has been permitted to shine through. There's plenty of information about what you are about to see, and a personable guide to tell you what you need to know about the house. You may also enjoy coffee and a cinnamon bun from Bread Source's new pop-up café, before taking a stroll around the public rooms for the exhibition and/or a trail in the garden and grounds. It is free to enter.
Conceived by Artistic Director Simon Oldfield, the programme will hopefully balance presentations by leading artists with national profiles alongside projects with local artists and creatives working directly from the grounds of the estate and taking inspiration from its locality and history.
We enjoyed the installation of paintings, by Maggi Hambling and drawings and sculpture by Ro Robertson (11 June – 7 December 2025), an artist who does not enjoy the profile that Maggie Hambling has, and who we had not come across before.
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Presented together the two women artists have responded to the sea and the coastal landscape not only as a subject, but as a force – a place of emotional power, personal history, and poetic metaphor. Hambling's touching references to her late partner Tory are made with a light touch. The drawings by Ro Robertson are particularly airy and full of light and carried out with a confidence that sat comfortably alongside the more experienced artist. They have a more obvious connection with Hambling's work, and were really nicely judged. The painted sculpture was less interesting.
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We urge you not to skip past the ground floor and head for the work upstairs. We were so pleased to see Nessie Stonebridge in this company - she is one of the artists we have worked with regularly. She has been chosen for the first set of Artist Residencies as part of the Arts & Culture Programme.
She is part of the Clay Research Group (CRG), Norwich and she has been working with clay and other materials retrieved from the Wolterton Park estate, as well as further afield from other locations in North Norfolk.
Nessie has presented a collection of wonderful ceramic sculptures capturing the fight and flight of birds and other animals alongside her paintings. The wall sconces look so at home here!
For 2025, Wolterton are hosting Dutch artist collective De Onkruidenier as part of the Sainsbury Centre’s current residency programme, ‘Can the Seas Survive Us?’ which examines the choices shaping our future due to climate change. Supported by an Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant via the Sainsbury Centre.
Artists Claire Cansisk and Jayne Ivimey who we have also shown recently have work in this exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre too.
All will inspire you to add something special to adorn your own walls and display at home.
Wolterton Park, Norfolk, NR11 7LY
1pm – 4pm Wednesday to Sunday
The exhibition is open until 4pm. Last entry 3.45pm.
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About the author
Paul Vater
PAUL VATER
Paul conducts studio visits to maintain strong relationships with artists, designers and craftspeople who show their work with us. He manages the main C&C website and has developed the online shop where selected works are presented for sale.
Paul established his design company, Sugarfree, in 1990 and quickly gained a reputation for delivering fresh, effective marketing campaigns and brand identities for clients including Save the Children Fund, United Nations Association and UNHCR. Over the years those added to the roster include IPC Magazines, Arts Council England, The Roundhouse, Barbican Centre, Arts Marketing Association, Look Ahead Housing and Care, Paddington Waterside, BBC Worldwide, Commonwealth Foundation, Prestel, City of London Corporation, Baker Street Quarter, Victoria BID and the University of East Anglia.