Ham House
Ham House is situated beside the River Thames in Ham, south of Richmond in London, United Kingdom. It is claimed by the National Trust to be "unique in Europe as the most complete survival of 17th century fashion and power."[1]
It was the primary residence of Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale.[2]
John Campbell, second duke of Argyll, was born here in 1680.[3]
[edit] Garden
The tea terrace is reputed to have the oldest Christ's thorn bush in the country. Walnut and chestnut trees in the outer courtyard act as roosts and nesting sites for a large flock of green parakeets. The formal listed avenues are formed by more than 250 trees.
The house has changed little in 300 years, and the same applies to its formal gardens, which feature the oldest Orangery in Britain, an icehouse and a dairy. The National Trust has a tea room for visitors.
The house is said to be haunted by the Duchess of Lauderdale and her dog, which a number of visitors claim to have seen running down the corridors (no dogs are allowed in the building). The house was subject to a year long investigation by the Ghost Club which recorded a number of phenomena that remain 'unexplained'.
Hammerton's Ferry links the gardens to Marble Hill House on the opposite bank of the river.
[edit] References
- ^ "National Trust | Ham House". National Trust. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-hamhouse.htm. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
- ^ "Elizabeth Murray", on the website of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (subscription or UK public library membership required), http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/19601
- ^ Murdoch, Alexander (2004). "Campbell, John, second duke of Argyll and duke of Greenwich (1680–1743)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4513. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4513?docPos=8.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ham House |
- Ham House information at the National Trust
- Photographs and brief details at hamphotos.blogspot.com
- The Ghost Club
