Ham House and Garden

On screen

How Ham House and Garden appears

Ham House serves several residences in Bridgerton's fourth season, including Bridgerton House, Penwood House and My Cottage. The National Trust specifically identifies the South Terrace encounter during the opening ball and the seventeenth-century kitchen used for the Crabtrees' scenes. A flower-covered pergola was built for filming, so the terrace's screen decoration should not be presented as a permanent garden feature.

The real house is a Stuart property beside the Thames in Richmond, shaped by the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale. Its owner highlights paintings, furniture and textiles alongside restored formal gardens, a productive kitchen garden and the Wilderness. That richer history makes a visit worthwhile beyond scene recognition.

Look for the distinction between the preserved household and garden structures and the temporary additions that helped it become several fictional homes.

• Series 4, episode 1: The Waltz

The real place

What you can visit

Check the National Trust's opening calendar and current admission information for house and garden access. Plan the journey to Ham Street in Richmond using the owner's directions, allowing for the final approach from public transport rather than assuming a station entrance beside the house. Individual routes and rooms can change, so read the access guide and ask about the kitchen or terrace if those features are central to your visit.

The Orangery Cafe is located in the kitchen garden; include a pause there only when its opening fits your day. Keep all movement within the published visitor route, particularly where filming photographs suggest a view taken from a space not normally available.

Use the terrace and kitchen as two distinct comparison points: one supplied a society encounter, the other domestic work below stairs. Ask staff about the areas open on your day without expecting them to provide a franchise tour. Look at the gardens' structure before searching for floral decoration; the show's pergola was a production addition, while Ham's restored formal layout has its own history.