Ickworth Estate to star in upcoming primetime series of ‘Hidden Treasures of the National Trust’

Ickworth Estate is to take centre stage as one of a handful of properties appearing in the new series of “Hidden Treasures of the National Trust” from BBC Arts,  as it returns for another look behind the scenes at some of the country’s most beautiful and historic houses.

Scheduled on BBC Two and iPlayer from yesterday (Friday, May 15), the programme will reveal new and compelling stories about the work going on behind the scenes to look after incredible objects and properties and the passionate staff and volunteers who care for them. 

Ickworth Estate will appear in episode two, alongside Attingham Park, in Shropshire, scheduled to air on Friday, May 22, and will focus on a delicate watercolour and pastel  portrait of Elizabeth Forster, known as Bess, daughter of the 4th Earl of Bristol and more commonly known as the Earl Bishop, and her friend Georgiana Cavendish.  

Georgiana was the Duchess of Devonshire by marriage to the 5th Duke of Devonshire and one of the most famous women of the 18th century.

Their friendship sparked a sensational society scandal when Bess moved into the Devonshire household and began a purported relationship with both the duchess and her husband, the Duke of Devonshire. 

“What we know is that some form of approved ménage à trois developed,” explains National Trust cultural heritage curator Louisa Brouwer.

“It was an era where it was common to have extramarital affairs, but even then, it was a society scandal.” 

Now, more than 240 years later, the artwork by artist John Downman, is badly stained and structurally unstable.

Paper conservator Louise Drover carefully dismantles its delicate layers of paper, washing away centuries of discoloration and stabilising the image.

She said; “I can quite honestly say this was one of the most difficult items I’ve worked on in my entire career.

“The watercolour is on a fine tissue and during conservation the aim is to separate the tissue layer from the heavier support paper, but I discovered during the treatment that it wasn’t possible.

“It had not only lost all its structural strength, but was also fractured in places, rendering it extremely fragile. The two  had to be treated together, adding further risks.”

 The team hoped the conservation might also uncover new clues about who commissioned the portrait known as “The Two Duchesses of Devonshire” – and what it might tell us about this extraordinary relationship.

Also to feature in the episode are the two “Election Dresses”, worn by Lady Margorie and Lady Phyllis Hervey for the 1906 election in which their father Captain Frederick Hervey, later 4th Marquess of Bristol, stood and won the Bury St Edmunds seat.  

The distinctive party dresses, one pink one white, are believed to have been designed and hand-painted by the girls’ mother, Lady Theodora, 4th Marchioness of Bristol and are decorated with symbols representing the policies and ideologies that Frederick championed during his campaign. 

The programme will be repeated at 7pm on Saturday, May 23, and at 8am on Friday, May 29. It is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The watercolour of The Two Duchesses of Devonshire, and the Election Dresses are on display for visitors at Ickworth Estate daily between 11am and 3pm until the end of July.

For more information and to plan a visit, go to nationaltrust.org.uk/ickworth-estate