Hidden Treasures of the National Trust turns its attention to two women who stood their ground during one of England’s most turbulent periods. Airing Friday, June 6, at 9 PM on BBC Two, the episode, Women on the Frontline, tells the stories of Elizabeth Murray and Mary Bankes – two Royalists with very different fates during the English Civil War.
The program explores Ham House, the lavish Stuart residence of Elizabeth Murray. Murray skillfully worked Cromwell’s favor while secretly aiding Charles II, a gamble that paid off handsomely. While many of her possessions at Ham House now need restoration, her legacy of cunning survival remains.
In stark contrast, Mary Bankes took a more direct approach. The episode details Bankes’s fierce defense of Corfe Castle against Parliamentarian forces, a stand that ended in betrayal and the castle’s destruction. Today, the ruins serve as a silent testament to her bravery. Fittingly, the National Trust has begun a large conservation project at Corfe Castle, ensuring its story—and Bankes’s—will continue to be told.
This episode of Hidden Treasures presents a fascinating look at the lives of two women who navigated extraordinary circumstances with grit and determination.
Hidden Treasures of the National Trust airs Friday at 9:00 PM on BBC Two.
