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| Highlights |  | Events
Open-air theatre, special guided tours, Christmas carol concerts and special openings |  | Guided tours
Free guided garden tours Weds 2 & 3 (dates as house, no booking necessary) and on selected Sats (please confirm in advance). Ghost tours, behind-the-scenes and treasures of the stores tours throughout year. Contact property or website for details (booking essential) |  | Country walks
Local walks leaflet available from property |
About this property
One of a series of grand houses and palaces alongside the River Thames, Ham House and Garden is an unusually complete survival of the 17th century, where time appears to have stood still. Rich in history and atmosphere, Ham House was largely created by the charismatic Duchess of Lauderdale, who was deeply embroiled in the politics of the English Civil War and subsequent restoration of the monarchy. As a sumptuous statement of wealth and power, Ham was built to impress in its day and continues to do so today. With lavish interiors, unique historical features and unusual 17th-century gardens, Ham is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. Its collections of art, textiles and furniture are outstanding, while its outbuildings – including an ice house, a dairy, with unusual cast iron 'cows' legs', and the earliest known purpose-built still house (the 17th-century equivalent of an in-house pharmacy) – are intriguing. The gardens are a rare survival of 17th-century garden design.
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