I came across this series recently (via Sarah, Duchess of York’s own podcast); what a lovely, enlightening moment in my day to listen to the stories of our country’s chatelaines. Clearly living in a stately home is a privilege, but it also brings many challenges, which many people may not realise (£250k annual running costs?!). The Countess of Rutland’s interviews with her peers brings their lives to life, as they share interesting & entertaining stories of their present custodianship, and their houses’ pasts. Thank you for sharing them with us! Best wishes, Alice
I stumbled upon this amazing series a few months ago. Since then I’ve become enthralled with the history of so many stately homes, the ups and downs of maintaining them and the ways in which the former and current custodians have put their stamp on not just the home, but the country as well. I can’t wait to explore the next season.
Ah! I just love this! It is so wonderful to pop this on and feel like I am there! Finding out how big estates are run in the modern day is fascinating! The perfect podcast for any Anglophile!
The Duchess of Rutland is a marvelous interviewer. She seems to put her guests at ease and so the interviews are fresh and candid. Really splendid. I was riveted.
I’m listening in 2023 and about to leave for a trip to the UK. I stumbled upon this podcast and I love it. I’m a designer and I love hearing about the stately home details but I also love the history. I so hope this podcast gets updated soon!
I started listening to this podcast hoping it would help me decide which estate home I would most like to visit when I finally get to make another trip across the pond. I’m afraid it’s only made it harder- I want to visit them all! Thank you, Duchess, for sharing these incredible stories and homes and the women that run them.
Ok, to be truthful, I was expecting highbrow look down their nose at ya duchy mean girls. So surprised to hear the emphasis on service. A lot of these women have a very indigenous point of view “ I am a caretaker and do not own it. Leave it better than I left it” hooray
I have enjoyed this pod since the beginning thanks to a rec from a smart friend. It provides wonderful insight into the lifeblood of magnificent UK homes. The female stewards that are interviewed are unceasingly gifted in their knowledge of the history of their homes. They are almost always warm and humble now matter how grand their upbringing. You will always learn something new even if you have visited the location in the past.
However, there is so much more potential to make the interviews more professional. The reliance on very poor mic and audio for Emma the host is puzzling. Her lovely voice is almost inaudible. The guest’s audio is always much better.
And two years on the remote interview format for such a small geographic region is not necessary. An additional video format on Youtube would make it really engaging and would help monetize the interviews to support the properties.
What a charming and completely fascinating podcast! Thank you for taking us inside these homes and introducing us to these incredible women. A thoroughly enjoyable listen!
I would begin by concurring with other reviewers that not only is this podcast informative and inspiring, but it is incredibly calming. Hearing these charming ladies describe places that I can only hope to visit one day is soothing to my soul. This podcast has quickly become one of my favorites.
If you’re having a stressful day, I feel like this podcast is the antidote. It’s a gentle, lovely escape from the ugliness of the news and social media. I really enjoy learning about the history of the estates and lifestyles of people that are so different from my own life.
I’ve been listening since the beginning. I love the history and stories about the houses and all the details of what life is really like living in a historical house. I’d love to hear more of the interviews. My only complaint is that the episodes aren’t longer! 🙂
Love your interviews with the women who are “the custodians” of the castles and stately homes, understanding their challenges and successes to keep these beautiful places running. A wonderful way to catch a bit of history.
Please, more content on maintaining a roof on a castle and when you have to consider selling a painting to pay the heating bills. That’s the best part of the show. Seriously.
The Duchess is extremely personable. She conducts most wonderful interviews with the Lady’s of the manor and how they live and run these beautiful historical homes.
I’m an American Anglophile who loves everything British, and have had the pleasure of visiting many of the Castles discusses on these podcasts.
The podcasts are a wonderful history lesson, given by the family members who created it.
I just discovered this podcast today and listened to all of them. I love learning about these beautiful places and the people that are in their charge. Wonderful information. Thank you so much.
Michele M.
Eastlake Ohio USA.
I’ve been following you on IG for almost a year and love Belvoir and hope to visit one day. Having said that, I was so excited to learn about your new podcast! It’s an art history lesson sprinkled with little nuggets of British culture. I look forward to future interviews. Love from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, US.
I so enjoyed listening to your podcast . I found it very interesting to hear a about the lives of the women who are the stewards of these magnificent homes and castles. Hearing the behind the scenes of what it takes, hard work, sensitivity and a respect for the past while still making it a home is eye opening.. and I’ll be sure not to bother the gardener 😉delightful and looking forward to many more episodes. Greetings from California
I am really enjoying the conversations Her Grace Emma Manners leads with the wonderful strong women of the stately homes of the UK. I honestly wish each episode were longer so that each of them could talk even more about the homes in their care, stories of triumph and tragedy about the homes, their lives, and that quintessential “stiff upper lip” and “keep calm and carry on” that these women clearly have in spades. Thank you Emma, can’t wait to hear all of the rest of the episodes and plan future travels to see these magnificent homes!
This is a lovely podcast. I love hearing the stories about these historic homes and the people who live there and take care of them. So much to listen to!
Lovely look into life as the steward of a generational “big house.” As an American Anglophile, this is an interesting listen into a world we don’t know much about here. I keep refreshing looking forward more episodes. Well done, please continue the excellent work!
Kudos for this fabulous podcast. What a brilliant idea! I love hearing the history, the family lineage and their backstories and about the expense and upkeep as custodians of these amazing places. I am also so grateful to hear the ghost stories of each place - before I had started listening to the podcast, I had the thought that as an off-shoot of the main podcast series, a ghost story series ought to be done with some of the many, many ghost stories shared. Living day-to-day under foot of very old and very historic ghosts must be incredible and at times frightening. But for the good ghosts, I would imagine you start to get to know these ghosts and have well-rounded stories to share. I’m sure you will discover many off-shoots to this podcast series, but for now you are off to a solid and bright start! Many thanks!
Thank you for this podcast - such a fascinating look into history and the women who have impacted some of the great homes in Britain. It’s very warm and personal and I love the Duchess’ interviewing style. Can’t wait for more to come!
This is a great and interesting podcast. The host’s voice (Emma) is very clear but her first guest Demetra Lindsay’s voice kept almost cutting out. I felt like I missed half of her story. Absolutely love this podcast.
An incredibly lovely podcast that really skims the surface to provide a little insight into the world of managing these magnificent homes. 30 mins is just a tease! I would listen to 2 hours lol! The history. The human side. The ghosts. Thank you for starting this podcast I look forward to future episodes.
As a long standing Anglophile I didn’t hesitate to subscribe. Not even through my first listen and loving this! Charming ladies! The history is astounding!
How uplifting and interesting to hear from these incredible women who are dedicated to their community and to the preservation of these historical homes.
I’ve always been an admirer of the Duchess of Rutland. Her abilities in maintaining and growing Belvoir Castle and its grounds are second to none, and having the opportunity to hear some of her insight is great!
