Stately home's 'hidden treasures' appear on BBC show

A stately home's collection of jewellery dating back 250 years has featured in a new BBC television series.

The collection belonging to seven generations of the Harpur Crewe family, who lived at Calke Abbey in Ticknall, Derbyshire, has been featured on BBC Arts' Hidden Treasures of the National Trust.

The programme highlights the Grade I listed building's diamond pieces dating from around 1750, a 19th Century Egyptian revival necklace, and the National Trust's largest taxidermy collection.

Rebecca Harvey, cultural heritage curator of the National Trust, said: "These jewels are extraordinary, not simply because of their beauty or craftsmanship, but because of the very human stories they hold."

The National Trust said the Harpur Crewes' jewellery reflects "wider fashions, travel and global connections".

One example is an Egyptian revival necklace designed by Georgiana, Lady Crewe, using agate stones collected by her son during his travels in Nubia, in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan.

Elsewhere in the collection is a gold locket set with turquoise, ruby and a lock of hair, created in memory of Henrietta, the daughter of Jane, Lady Crewe, who died at eight weeks old in 1829.

The National Trust said research has led to the reconnection of the objects with those who once wore or owned them.

"Through letters, diaries and archive research, we've been able to reconnect many of these objects with moments of love, loss and family life that still resonate today," said Harvey.

The programme also highlights Calke Abbey's "internationally significant" natural history collection, featuring taxidermied birds, mammals, fish and reptiles.

Hidden Treasures of the National Trust episode four aired on BBC Two on Friday and is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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