A Suffolk estate is to take centre stage in a documentary about National Trust artefacts.
The Ickworth Estate, near Bury St Edmunds, will appear alongside Attingham Park in an episode of BBC Two’s Hidden Treasures of the National Trust on May 22.
The estate has a series of artworks, drawings, jewellery, and clothing of historical importance.
A watercolour and pastel portrait of 18th-century society figures Georgiana Cavendish and Elizabeth Forster, found within the estate, forms the centrepiece of the episode.
Georgiana was one of the most famous women of the 18th century while Bess was the daughter of the 4th Earl of Bristol.
Bess and Georgiana’s friendship attracted attention at the time, with rumours swirling regarding the Duchess of Devonshire, who was married to the Duke of Devonshire, and her purported relationship with both the Duke and Bess.
Viewers will discover more about the portrait's restoration, which involved careful dismantling of its delicate paper layers.
Other featured wears in the documentary include the white and pink ‘Election Dresses’ worn by Lady Margorie and Lady Phyllis Hervey during the 1906 election.
These dresses, standing as a key symbol of political campaigns in the early 20th-century, are believed to have been designed and hand-painted by their mother, Lady Theodora, and are adorned with symbols reflecting Frederick Hervey's policies and ideologies during his 1906 campaign for the Bury St Edmunds seat.
Abbi Lang, General Manager of Ickworth Estate, expressed her anticipation for the episode, said: "It is wonderful that through the BBC’s Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, we can shine a spotlight on the incredible collection and treasures amassed over several years by the Earl Bishop, and his family in the centuries afterwards."
The above historic items will remain accessible at the Ickworth Estate daily from May 15 to the end of July, between 11am and 3pm.
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