Ham House

Ham House sits on the banks of the River Thames in Richmond. It was built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour; altered in 1637-9 by William Murray, Earl of Dysart; and extended and remodelled in the 1670s by Murray’s daughter, Elizabeth and her second husband John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale. Their architect was William Samwell. The Lauderdales transformed Ham into one of the grandest Stuart houses in England. The interiors are richly decorated with baroque ceiling murals by Antonio Verrio, Caroline plasterwork and rare ‘paned’ damask hangings. There is a handsome grained and gilded staircase with a carved and pierced balustrade containing trophies of arms. The library dates from the 1670s and is one of the earliest purpose-built country house libraries. There is an 18-acre garden designed by the Lauderdales which is one of the oldest surviving garden layouts in Britain.

Ham House, Surrey

This collection has 5,185 items online

An outstanding and exceptionally well-documented collection of late 17th century furniture and paintings which includes a collection of miniatures still housed in the closet designed for them, with works by Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver. The collection is rich in examples of lacquerware and textiles. The house was extended with many innovative developments such as an early bathroom and a purpose built library. Seventeenth and eighteenth century books are especially well-represented, as well as a small collection of catalogues and bibliographical works, some annotated.

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