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Women on the Frontline

The battle to save the homes and treasures left by two Royalist women who refused to submit during the English Civil War - Ham House and Corfe Castle.

A look at the battle to save the homes of two formidable women who refused to bow down to the enemies at their gates but who suffered very different fates after the English Civil War.

In west London, on the banks of the river Thames, sits one of the grandest Stuart residences in England – Ham House. Ham was home to Elizabeth Murray, who would become the duchess of Lauderdale. From a staunchly Royalist family, she was able to find personal favour with Cromwell while secretly supporting the future Charles II. Richly rewarded for her loyalty, many of her most prized possessions are in desperate need of repair and conservation.

Watching over the Purbeck Hills in Dorset are the remains of Corfe Castle, home to another set of Royalists - the Bankes family - who suffered a very different fate. Lord Bankes's wife, Mary, is said to have personally defended the castle against Parliamentarian forces until a traitor in her ranks let the besiegers in. Now, the National Trust are undertaking their biggest ever conservation project at the castle.

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58 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Director Olly Rose
Producer Olly Rose
Director Sam Roubicek
Producer Sam Roubicek
Director Cressida Kinnear
Producer Cressida Kinnear
Producer Gemma Duncan
Producer Corinna Gallop
Line Producer Laura Miller
Assistant Producer Millie Dobres
Production Manager Nancy Gladwin
Editor Jamie Crookston
Series Editor Alex Raw
Executive Producer Sacha Baveystock
Executive Producer Sarah Spencer
Production Company Blast! Films

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