“Ham House and Garden is an unusually complete survival of the 17th century that impressed in its day and continues to do so today. Rich in history and atmosphere, Ham is largely the vision of Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart, who was deeply embroiled in the politics of the English Civil War and subsequent restoration of the monarchy.”
Wow, Ham House is spectacular. One of my favourite National Trust properties so far.
We took the district line to Richmond due to the ongoing headache of engineering works. It was a fair walk from there, but being along the Thames it was quite a treat. We even paused at Stein’s, an outdoor and delicious German beer and food “shack”, yummy sausages and weissbier were inhaled.
So after our little walk we arrived at the glorious Ham House. It was quite a spectacle being late February when we visited, surrounded by immense lawns, bare trees and an impressive façade.
We swiftly entered the house, to warm up a bit. It was pretty interesting actually, especially the kitchen area, but I love brass, so the large collection of Russian doll like brass saucepans impressed me a lot! Also the marble floors, lavishly decorated rooms and sweeping staircases were fun to explore.
Then back out into the cold to investigate the gardens, and get lost in the numerous maze-like hedges and hidden delights. Really fun. We imaged ourselves coming up the road between the hedges in a horse drawn carriage, horse hooves clopping, snowflakes floating down to the floor (it was cold) and a fancy ball awaiting us inside. Very Jane Austen.
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