Ham House stands on the south bank of the Thames between Richmond and Kingston, built in 1610 and enlarged in the 1670s by the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale, and it survives as one of the most complete 17th-century houses in Europe, with its original furniture, textiles and lacquered cabinets still in place. The Great Staircase, Green Closet and Long Gallery lead the house, while the restored garden holds the lavender-filled Cherry Garden, the Wilderness and a kitchen garden supplying the Orangery Cafe. Dogs on short leads are welcome in the garden, shop and cafe but not the house. Reviewers praise the volunteers, the below-stairs rooms that show how the household ran, and a library of 400-year-old books. Tips from visitors: there is no visitor car park, so use the free council-run Ham Street Car Park by the river; house entry is by timed slots handed out at reception on the day, so arrive early; and in summer Hammerton's Ferry brings walkers across from the Twickenham towpath.
