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 Buildings and architecture
-
HH Community - Hidden in the Trees: C...
A History Hit Community film. For nearly a thousand years, something high in the forest has been watching over the Welsh capital. A community pulled together in the Sixties, giving St. Mary's church in Caerau a short new life.
-
Inside Blenheim Palace
One of the grandest private houses in the world, the site of Blenheim Palace has been host to the murder of a royal mistress, the downfall of a quarrelling Duchess and the birth of Sir Winston Churchill. Dan Snow takes a tour of one of Britain's most famous attractions.
-
Paestum: A Tale of Three Cities
The story of ancient Italy is so much more than just Rome. Tristan Hughes visits the extraordinary site of Paestum in southern Italy, home to some of the greatest ancient Greek temples from anywhere in the world.
From majestic temples to pristine wall paintings more that 2,500 years old, he exp...
13 Comments