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The presenter visits the Dorset estate of Kingston Lacy, a country house with a vast collection of rare art, including an Egyptian obelisk which proved vital to the original deciphering of ancient hieroglyphics. The house also has a history of scandal involving its 19th-century owner William Bankes, who was forced to flee the country and live in exile - but is rumoured to have occasionally snuck back home. Plus, Alison Hammond meets the estate's herd of cows and Oz Clarke visits nearby Corfe Castle.
Alan Titchmarsh is joined by Shappi Khorsandi to explore Kedleston Hall in Derby, and learn about its most famous past resident - George Nathaniel Curzon, Viceroy of India.
Alan Titchmarsh visits Ham House on the banks of the River Thames, braving the house's ghost tour and learning of a remarkable female resident who lived during the Civil War.
Alan Titchmarsh reveals the shocking truth about Penrhyn Castle and how it was built from fortunes made in the plantations of the West Indies.
At Tyntesfield, Alan learns about the rise of William Gibbs, who became the richest non-aristocrat in 19th-century Britain through the trade of guano - otherwise known as bird droppings. Meanwhile, Chef Tony Singh and presenter Miriam O’Reilly explore beyond the Victorian Gothic house to discover the estate’s gardens, while Louis Emerick visits Mr Straw’s House in Nottinghamshire where, like Tyntesfield, it seems as though time has stood still for almost a century.
