A baker has created a magnificent 4ft festive model of a stately home – entirely from gingerbread and sweets.
Emma Thorburn, 40, was commissioned by Lady Coke to create the edible wonder as part of festive display at her Holkham Hall in Norfolk.
Emma spent 120 painstaking hours crafting the artwork which is finally on display in the hall’s dining room.
The magical gingerbread house is not intended to be a direct replica of Holkham, but is based on grand country houses from the past.
In the festive scene carol singers are gathered outside the home performing Christmas songs.
Garlanded Christmas trees line the garden and a sugary Santa and his sleigh even sits to top preparing of the festive scene.
A dog can also be seen barking in at the wintry goings-on from its kennel.
Wedding cake designer Emma used 870 mini gingerbread men for the brickwork and the chimney and 785 hand-cut fondant tiles to create the harlequin path.
She also fitted a staggering 256 hand-crafted fantasy flowers have also carefully into the gingerbread garden.
More than 100 Jelly Tots have been used to create the roof’s ridge tiles, the garden path is lined with lollipops, and there are even model bay trees made from hardened fondant and sprinkles.
The magnificent house is topped with roof slates made of 594 large tiddlywinks covered with sugar, glitter and studded with 358 silver balls.
Emma, from Sheringham, Norfolk started working on the festive gingerbread three years ago and sketched out every detail before she began baking.
The former art student yesterday (Fri) said she had always aimed to create the “most magical” gingerbread house ever.
She said: “When Lady Coke approached me to ask whether it would be possible to build a giant gingerbread house for Holkham, I was extremely excited about the challenge.
“I wanted to make something really special and set about designing the most magical gingerbread house I could.
“To make things a bit different to the average gingerbread building, I added a dog and his kennel, carol singers in bonnets and capes and garlanded Christmas trees as well as a few surprises.”
Emma, who runs her own business ‘Buns of Fun’, added: “My largest creation to date has been as a student at college, studying Art and Design, some 20 years ago, when I designed a theatre in 3D.”
The gingerbread house is set to go on display this weekend until Christmas in the dining room at Holkham.
The Victorian stately home is a member of the Treasure Houses of England, ten of the most magnificent palaces, stately homes and castles in England.
Thank you to the thousands of people who visited Holkham Hall over the past weekends,
X Buns of Fun