Day out: Ham House near Richmond

By dmorris

Time seems to have stood still at Ham House and Garden.

One of a series of palaces and grand houses along the banks of the River Thames at Richmond, it is an unusually complete survival of 17th century fashion and power.

Ham House was built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour, Knight Marshal to James I. On Sir Thomas' death in 1620, the house passed briefly to the Earl of Holdernesse, before becoming the home of William Murray in 1626.

Murray was a childhood friend of Charles I, and a fellow connoisseur and collector. He remodelled the interior of Ham, creating the Great Staircase and a suite of sumptuous rooms on the first floor.

In the 1670s the house was greatly enlarged by Murray's daughter and heiress Elizabeth Countess of Dysart, probably Ham House's most notorious owner.

Deeply embroiled in the politics of the Civil War and restoration of the monarchy, Elizabeth, who became the Duchess of Lauderdale when married, was determined that Ham House would be seen as a statement of her wealth and power.

In 1948 the property was bequeathed to the National Trust.

More recently the house and its gardens has become a favoured filming location.

It was used in The Young Victoria to represent Kensington Palace, including the scene where Victoria sees Albert for the first time.

This month it was used in the filming of a screen adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, Never Let Me Go, starring Keira Knightly. The house plays the part of a slightly run down boarding school - which meant the normally pristine gardens had to appear neglected.

ROOM HIGHLIGHTS

Green Closet

Designed to display cabinet pictures and miniatures, this room is considered a great rarity, not only because it survives from the reign of Charles I but because it retains many of its 17th century and later contents.

Queen's bedchamber

In the Lauderdale's time, this was the most magnificent room in the house and the climax of the series of rooms forming the State Apartment. The silver-mounted chimney furniture from that period still survives, and if you look closely, you can see the Lauderdales' ducal cipher (a kind of secret code) on the mounts of the fire-pan.

Library

The screens in the library are illustrated with amazing old maps, showing the trade routes from all over the world. Much of the house's contents were bought in from other countries through trade.

Duchess's Bathroom

The Duchess of Lauderdale's bathroom is an early example of the en-suite - she had a staircase connecting her bedroom with her bathroom which is in the basement.

Servants Quarters

Step into the world below stairs.

The servants quarters include the Steward's Hall where senior domestic staff would dine and relax, the buttery and the kitchen.

The ornate 18th century dairy still exists with its original Victorian ice-cream making equipment and work surface supported by iron legs carved liked cows' legs.

Find out more about life as a member of the household on the Behind the Scenes tours which run on the first three Thursdays of every month until mid-October. Normal admission plus £8, call 0844 249 1895 to book.

GARDEN

Since 1975 work has restored the garden to its 17th century layout.

Enjoy the famous lavender parterres and maze-like Wilderness area, as well as the 17th-century-style Kitchen Garden, which supplies the Orangery Cafe.

Out-buildings include an ice house, dairy and the 17th century equivalent of an in-house pharmacy.

FILMING LOCATIONS

Rooms featured in The Young Victoria are easily recognisable - the Great Hall has a distinctive black and white chequered marble floor, the Great Staircase features heavily as the elaborately carved staircase down which the Victoria walks and Victoria is featured drawing her dog and Prince Albert in the Cherry Garden with its topiary. The Long Gallery is also featured.

EVENTS

Home Grown at Ham

Saturday (June 27) to Sunday (June 28)

Discover growing your own fruit and veg. There will be digging and sowing demonstrations and a kitchen within the kitchen garden.

Outdoor Shakespeare

Sunday, August 2

The gardens provide the setting for Twelfth Night, performed how an Elizabethan audience would have experienced it.

Gates open 6pm, adults £16, children £13. To book call 0844 249 1895 or log on to www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

The lowdown:

Where: Ham House and Garden, Ham, Richmond-upon-Thames, TW10 7RS

Tel: 020 8940 1950

Web: www.nationaltust.org.uk/hamhouse

Open: House open until Sunday, November 1, noon to 4pm, closed Thursdays and Fridays. Gardens, shop and cafe open on same days, 11am to 5pm. Gardens, shop and cafe open all year but check website or call for details.

Prices: Adults £9.90, children £5.50, family £25.30. Garden only: £3.30, £2.20, £8.80. Prices include Gift Aid - standard admission available.

Eating and drinking: Take a picnic or visit the Orangery Cafe.

Get there: By car, join the A307 at Kingston and at Ham turn left onto Ham Common, continue onto Ham Street and towards Ham House. By train change at Clapham Junction for Richmond which is 1.5 miles by footpath and two miles by road.