Our Great British Houses series continues with another gem of The National Trust’s collection. About 10 miles from the centre of London is one of the most magnificent houses of Stuart England, Ham House. This lavish mansion is a treasure trove of 17th century art and architecture, a dazzling red-brick jewel on the muddy banks of the River Thames.
But Ham House also has a remarkable history of espionage and secrets. During the tumultuous years of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth and the Restoration, Ham House lay at the heart of political conflict. In this documentary, Alice Loxton discovers how the Murray family - led by a remarkable mother-daughter team of Catherine and Elizabeth Murray - survived this troublesome period. Despite being fiercely loyal to the crown - even ferrying secret letters to the exiled Charles II - the Murray’s also maintained a friendship with the Cromwell family. It was an audacious act of bravery, resilience and espionage.
Up Next in Globetrotting Documentaries
-
Greatest Discoveries: Lost Lives of P...
The story of Pompeii’s destruction is renowned across the world. In 79 AD, this prosperous Roman town was destroyed by a massive, volcanic eruption. Pompeii became frozen in time, only to be rediscovered c.1500 years later.
Warning: contains very strong language and sexual content.
Vesuvius’ er...
-
Greatest Discoveries: Last Days of Po...
Tristan Hughes explores the destruction of Pompeii, using extraordinary eyewitness testimony and the revelations of archaeology to understand what really happened here nearly 2000 years ago.
In 79 AD, one of the greatest natural disasters in Roman history occurred in southern Italy, when Mount V...
-
Britain's Historic Isles: The Isles o...
Ancient islands, shipwrecks, blue seas... In Britain’s Historic Isles: The Isles of Scilly, Dan Snow joins professional yachtsman and adventurer Conrad Humphreys as they tour the beautiful, rugged Isles of Scilly, on the wave-lashed shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
In this first episode, Dan and Co...
12 Comments