Ham House

The front of Ham House, Richmond

I've been wanting to visit Ham House for many years but somehow it's eluded me. This is a magnificent National Trust property, dating from 1610. It's considered to be the most intact example of 17th century architectural fashion in Europe.

Today I had an appointment in Richmond so we took the opportunity of driving just a couple of minutes from the Richmond high street to this beautiful house.

The ornate front entrance

Italianate loggia at the front of the house

It's still winter so the gardens are only just starting to burst into their spring growth. I've always taken great delight in formal gardens and Ham House with its bare plum trees espaliered against ancient brick walls, symmetrically trimmed yews and beautifully aligned urns gave me plenty to smile about. The incredible parterre garden with its geometric lavender and santolina was particularly appealing to me.

Snowdrops heralding the imminent arrival of spring

The house viewed from the parterre garden - a breathtaking sight

At the rear of the house are the 'wilderness' garden with its maze of hornbeams, the ancient kitchen garden that supplies the cafe with much of its produce and a variety of ornate gates and classical statuary. There's also a mass of cherry trees that no doubt are spectacular in spring.

Exterior of the café

The rear of the house

Most National Trust buildings are still closed for winter conservation and repairs, and will reopen towards the end of March. A few, however, have limited openings and we were lucky enough today to enjoy a 45-minute guided tour of several rooms in a small group of about 20 people. The interior of Ham House is truly beautiful. Its early Palladian style includes ornate carved cantilevered staircases, coffered ceilings and a glorious long gallery in black and gold. The artwork is incredible - a vast collection of portraits as well as a number of significant copies of Titian works. These were copied in 1623 following a visit by Charles I to the Spanish court in Madrid, and they have recently been restored at HUGE expense... but truly, it's worth it. They are magnificent.

'It's that way' - me imitating the statue on the left

We'll definitely be returning to Ham House in the next couple of months to see the garden in its full glory, and to view the house in its entirety. Lucky us - it's only a 30-minute drive from home!

Until next time,
- Maree  xo