Bettany Hughes’s Ten Places, Europe and Us cover art

Bettany Hughes’s Ten Places, Europe and Us

Bettany Hughes’s Ten Places, Europe and Us

By: National Trust
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 Historian Bettany Hughes goes beyond the delights of teas and topiary to explore ten inspiring National Trust sites. Join Bettany as she travels around some of the most splendid sites in England, guided by our experts, to investigate their deep-rooted connections to Europe and the wider world.

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National trust Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Waddesdon

    Waddesdon
    Nov 28 2016
    Bettany visits Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, an extraordinary French chateau built as a fairy-tale castle by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the heart of the English countryside. Here Bettany meets Pippa Shirley, Head of Collections and Gardens, to discuss the contradictions at the heart of the house, which showcases the best of 18th century French decorative art.Ferdinand devised the house in part as a stage set to court power and for a ‘wow’ factor, and this very much paid off when Queen Victoria asked to visit. The Queen became obsessed with the new electric light switches, which she kept turning on and off. Later, Margaret Thatcher chose to host President Mitterand here during the 1990 summit: an event about which Lord Rothschild spills the beans in an illuminating chat with Bettany.For more information about Waddesdon, including opening times and dates, go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/waddesdon-manor

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    23 mins
  • Fountains Abbey

    Fountains Abbey
    Nov 14 2016
    Now a romantic ruin, Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire was a thriving industrial hub for the Cistercian order of monks in the 12th Century. Here Bettany meets archaeologist Mark Newman to bring the Abbey to life once more and to explore the impact of the Cistercians, the first truly pan-European movement, on Britain’s economy. Bettany meets Head of Landscape, Michael Ridsdale, to discuss how the ruined abbey became a folly to the Studley Royal Estate in the 18th Century, and how he and his team of gardeners are presenting the site for modern visitors. Finally, Bettany returns to the east end of the Abbey to learn from Mark how cutting-edge technology has revealed an exciting new find, which sheds fresh light on the monks’ beliefs. For more information about Fountains Abbey, including opening times and dates, go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden

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    23 mins

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