Ham House

Ham House

My enthusiasm for historic houses is unparalleled.

Ham House

I went to Ham House to look round the beautiful Stuart country home that’s only 10 miles away from central London.

Ham House was built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour, Knight Marshal to James I. When he died, the house was passed briefly to the Earl of Holdernesse, before becoming the home of William Murray, a friend of Charles I, in 1626. He remodelled the interior of Ham, making several additions to the building. When the civil war broke out in 1642, Murray joined the Royalist cause. He spent the rest of his life in exile.

Ham House

He had no male heir, so Ham was passed to his eldest daughter Elizabeth, who is described as: ‘restless in her ambition, profuse in her expense, and of a most ravenous covetousness’ (!!!) Her first marriage was to Sir Lionel Tollemache, a very wealthy and cultivated squire. Even before his death, however, she was rumoured to have ‘formed an attachment’ to the First Duke of Lauderdale, John Maitland.

Duke and Duchess Lauderdale
Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale

They married in 1672, three years after Sir Lionel Tollemache died, and set about refurnishing Ham House, making it a palatial villa filled with luxurious interiors, most of which survive to this day.

Ham House gardens

After the Duke’s death in 1682, the Duchess had to try and curb her lavish spending and was reduced to pawning her jewellery and art. She died at Ham in 1698. Ham was then passed down to her eldest son from her first marriage.

Ham House Surrey

I proffer these photos of the house and gardens.

Ham House visit

You enter Ham House through a huge hallway with a black and white marble floor. Check – checker – checkerboard.

Ham House inside

Ham House visit

Ham House interior

And then onto the Chapel, which was originally the family’s main living room.

Chapel Ham House

And up the great staircase, with paintings by followers of Titian, which have just had a good clean!

Staircase Ham House

Staircase Ham House

Staircase Ham House

Staircase Ham House

Staircase Ham House

With teasing views of the beautiful formal gardens (more on those in a bit!)

Staircase Ham House

The Hall Gallery used to be the main dining room, until the floor was punctured sometime between 1698 and 1728.

Gallery Ham House

Gallery Ham House

Gallery Ham House

The North Drawing Room is where guests would retire after dinner.

Inside Ham House

It is kept a little bit dark in this room to protect the glorious tapestries that adorn the walls…

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

The Long Gallery is an eerily dramatic space.

Ham House rooms

Filled with portraits of Lady Margaret Murray and the Tollemarche family.

Ham House Rooms

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

Ham House inside

Ham House rooms

And into one of my favourite rooms: The Green Closet.

Green Gallery Ham House

An intimate room designed to display miniatures and cabinet pictures, it is of the greatest rarity, not only as a survival from the reign of Charles I, but also because it retains many of its seventeenth-century and later contents.

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

I’d like to introduce you to the library of my dreams:

ham house library

Ham House library

(Note to self: strengthen bookshelves when home!)

Ham House library

Complete with mid 18th century globes.

Ham House library

Ham House library

I like the shape of Australia and how it was called ‘New Holland’.

Old map of Australia

The Queen’s Antechamber had a beautiful marble fireplace and an oriental ornate screen.

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

Nipping quickly through the Queen’s Closet…

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

Into the Dining Room…

Ham House rooms

Where the wallpaper is made from leather, intricately cut.

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

DSC02981

The Volury Room acquired its name by 1683 from its birdcages which were constructed in 1672-4.

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

Ham House rooms

I went downstairs to explore the kitchen area.

Ham House rooms

Ham House was self-sufficient in milk, eggs, butter, bread, vegetables and meat.

Ham House rooms

Ham House kitchen

Ham House kitchen

Ham House kitchen

Ham House kitchen

Ham House kitchen

Ham House kitchen

And the beer cellar.

Ham House cellar

Beer was considered a safer alternative to water and it was drunk by all during the 17th century.

Ham House beer cellar

And the Duchess’ Bathroom.

Ham House bathroom

Taking a bath in the 17th century consisted of a rigmarole of several stages lasting many hours (obviously things are very different now… ahem) The merits of bathing were well known to the Ancient world, but the practice had been somewhat disregarded by Early Modern Europeans. Characteristically ahead of her time, the Duchess of Lauderdale had this room purpose built in 1672-5.

Ham House bathroom

As such, it’s the earliest surviving bathroom in the country!

Ham House bathroom

And look at that fireplace.

Ham House Bathroom

Outside, the gardens are formal…

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

With a wilderness-twist. A wildernist.

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

As you walk around the gardens, it feels almost like you’re walking through outside rooms!

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Under a beech archway…

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

You spy the Cherry Garden through hedges!

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Having worked up quite an appetite, it was time to go to the kitchen garden.

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

The grand house always in sight, like an omniscient immovable force of grandeur.

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House gardens

Ham House is a fantastic place to visit – you must go this August!

Ham House gardens

Ham House

Ham House blog

On my visit I was wearing THE MOST COMFORTABLE trainers EVER. They’re as light as rice cakes.

Surrey fashion

Nike Internationalist Trainers, now in the sale here.

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