Tue, Aug 30, 2016
Phil Spencer visits Holkham Hall which is an 18 th century mansion in North Norfolk, England. This massive home is in the Palladian style which Thomas Coke, the 1st Earl of Leicester and owner, had much admired while on his grand tour of Europe as a teen, for 6 years. The mansion took 30 years to complete and 3 million bricks, it has a massive marble hall with a 50ft ceiling, underfloor heating and 18 columns made of alabaster from Derebyshire. The stone for the outside came 750 miles by ship from the Bath area in Somerset. Today the owner is the 8th Earl of Leicester and the house is open to the public, there are 350 staff members. There are beautiful Brussels tapestries in the sitting room and a vaulted copper ceiling in the saloon.
Tue, Sep 6, 2016
Phil Spencer travels north and into Scotland to visit this very large stately home inhabited by a family with 4 children. It is one house back to back with another as the sons of the original man who built it, increased its size. The estate is 12 miles north of Edinburgh. The leased farmers' cottages of old days are now Holiday Flats for tourists.
Tue, Sep 13, 2016
Phil visits a stately home with a racy reputation: Glorious Goodwood, on the stunning South Downs. Famous for giving guests a good time, Goodwood sits in a vast estate where every acre is dedicated to entertainment. It's where the wealthy flock for a flutter on the horses. It's also famous for cricket, parties and motor racing. Phil's host is the current owner Lord March, who's lived at Goodwood since 1994. He opens the doors to the glamorous state rooms, and takes Phil for a spin round the famous race track in one of his most prized vintage cars. With access to the family archive, Phil reveals the origins of the estate, which stretches back to a royal scandal and the love child of Charles II.