Tourism

This grand mansion was built in 1610 by Sir Thomas Vavvaour (no we never heard of him either) but he was a Caption in the army who distinguished himself a number of times fighting the Dutch and went on to be a successful businessman and MP. But ownership and the background of this house takes second fiddle to the fact that it's thought to be very much haunted. Throughout the years there have been consistent reports from staff and visitors to experiencing and seeing a mysterious Woman and her dog walking through the hallways (Dogs have long since been banned so this sighting is even more mysterious). The lady is thought to be Duchess of Lauderdale, a noblewomen who supported King Charles II during his exile and was later accused of witchcraft by her political enemies. The full story is on Wiki but basically it's her and her mutt that are thought to stalk the halls but why this should be her specifically is not specified. She didn't even die here so go figure. So on to the house and grounds, well ghosts aside it's an amazingly impressive set-up no matter which way you view it. The gardens are beautiful, perfectly kept and go on for miles. The house is of course more museum than house with hundreds of works of art.
Hollywood has of course discovered this place and if you have watched films like "Never let me go" or "Anna Karanina" (both starring Kiera Knightly no less) or the Star Wars-like film "John Carter" you may recognize parts of the grounds and house.

It's one of the more instantly likable location you can visit, shames it's in Richmond and so over an hour's drive away but well worth it once there.

Postcode: TW10 7RS

More information: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ham-house/