Blenheim Palace: The Hidden Secrets Inside Churchill’s Ancestral Home

Alice Loxton delves into the hidden secrets behind some of Britain's most iconic historic locations.

Dan Snow explores behind the scenes at the majestic Kensington Palace, the glittering centre of the royal court in early Georgian England. It's a very special time to visit - the Historic Royal Palaces team has been delving deep into the archives to lift the veil of the public facing court and explore the lives of the many people who lived and worked here. Beyond the kings and queens in the stately rooms, there were hundreds of other men and women - people born high and low - who played a vital role in keeping the court going. This exhibition brings together an amazing collection of objects, many of which have never been seen before. From an ice saw used by Frances Talbot, the 'Keeper of the Ice and Snow' to the revealing scribbled notes of the Master Cook’s Book. From the intricate stitching of Queen Charlotte’s dress, contrasting with the plainer uniform of her dresser, Dan gets up close to objects which build a much more vivid picture of life in this palace, upstairs and downstairs. The extraordinary mural

The Secrets of Ham House | And What's so Strange about the Bath!' About 10 miles from the centre of London is one of the most magnificent houses of Stuart England, Ham House. This lavish mansion is a treasure trove of 17th century art and architecture, a dazzling red-brick jewel on the muddy banks of the River Thames. But Ham House also has a remarkable history of espionage and secrets. During the tumultuous years of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth and the Restoration, Ham House lay at the heart of political conflict. In this documentary, Alice Loxton discovers how the Murray family - friends of Charles I and led by a remarkable mother-daughter team of Catherine and Elizabeth Murray - survived this troublesome period. Despite being fiercely loyal to the crown - even ferrying secret letters to the exiled Charles II - the Murray’s also maintained a friendship with the Cromwell family. It was an audacious act of bravery, resilience and espionage.

The Secrets Of Spencer House | A Stately Home In Central London In this video History Hit's Alice Loxton delves into the secrets of Spencer House. Tucked away in the heart of St James’s is one of London’s most sumptuous buildings. It’s the London house of the Spencer family - that’s the family of the infamous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and the late Princess Diana. Spencer House was the vision of John, the First Earl Spencer, born in 1734. He was the great-grandson of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, who built Blenheim Palace. He was also the grandson of Third Earl of Sunderland. Young John inherited both these fortunes, becoming one of the wealthiest young men in the land. Not only was John lucky in his birth. He was lucky in love, too. He married his childhood sweetheart, Georgiana Poynz. Unusually for the 18th century, the couple didn’t detest each other. They were genuinely in love. Shortly after their marriage, and equipped with a vast fortune, they built a splendid new London house in St James’s overlooking Green Park, as compliment

The Battle of Visby, 1361 left one of the most complete archaeological records of medieval warfare - hundreds of skeletons buried in mass graves, many still wearing armour. Join Dr. Jo Buckberry as she and a team of specialists investigate the grisly remains of this battle. They carry out experimental archaeology to determine what weapon caused some of the most brutal injuries in medieval warfare. You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

BREAKING: Does new archeological evidence help point to a lost Roman battle fought by the 9th Legion? Have we uncovered new evidence of a Roman Siege of an iron age hill fort? In this new exclusive documentary, Historian Tristan Hughes re-joins the hunt for the mysterious Ninth Legion. Joining forces with Historian and Archaeologist Simon Elliot, Tristan sets off on a road trip to three key Roman sites, a roman marching camp, iron age hill fort and site of a third previously undiscovered Roman camp high up in the Derbyshire Dales. Three sites that combined with incredible new artefacts could attest to a long lost ancient battle between Roman forces and Iron Age Briton's.