Five Slices of Lyme's History

Alan Titchmarsh and curator Amy Carney look at the Lyme Sarum Missal in the Library at Lyme

In 600 years, Lyme has acquired all kinds of unusual objects and strange secrets. If you're visiting the house, here's five things to look out for!

A large dog collar in a red-lined, glass-fronted display case

The Lyme Mastiff Collar

Mastiffs were kept at Lyme since the 1400s. The breed was cherished by the family through the centuries, as shown by the several large paintings of them by the grand staircase. This collar belonged to Lion, one of the family’s last mastiffs, and shows just how massive these dogs were.

A panel in the drawing room at Lyme folds aside to reveal a view into the entrance hall

The Squint

In the entrance hall, you may notice a strange gap behind one of the painting on the wall. If you head up to the drawing room, you’ll find out why! The squint allowed members of the Legh family to spy on visitors coming in through their front door via a fold-out panel in the wall.

Three clocks from the Clock Room at Lyme Park

Lyme's Clock Collection 

Lyme's extensive clock collection needs plenty of attention to keep in time. Find out how we care for over 50 antique time pieces, including 18 in full working order.

The Erard harp at Lyme, Cheshire

The Erard Harp

This beautiful golden harp was bought by Thomas Legh in 1829, a year after his marriage to the young heiress Ellen Turner. However their relationship was to be tragically short-lived, as she died in 1831. After this, Thomas went back to travelling the world, and it would be 12 years before he settled back at Lyme again.

Alan Titchmarsh handling the Lyme Missal

The Lyme Missal 

Find out more about the fascinating Lyme Missal, deemed the most important printed book in the National Trust.