Plot Synopsis

Through the eyes of host Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, viewers receive an all-access pass to the amazing architecture, aristocratic inhabitants, priceless treasures and best-kept secrets of some of the United Kingdom's most impressive estates. Each hour-long episode follows Viscountess Hinchingbrooke as she visits one of these lavish homes -- from Gloucestershire's Sudeley Castle to Scotland's Inveraray Castle. Montagu goes beneath the skin of these finely crafted buildings as she discovers the lifestyles of the current owners, staff and craftspeople responsible for maintaining every exquisite detail for future generations, and then uses these lessons to enhance her husband's own historic family estate in Dorset -- Mapperton.
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On Sunday, July 5, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT, Smithsonian Channel premieres "Eastnor Castle," the season finale of AN AMERICAN ARISTOCRAT'S GUIDE TO GREAT ESTATES. Eastnor Castle is one of Britain's grandest private residences and an estate that has been home to one family for over 400 years. While the current owners honor the estate's past, they must also look towards its future to stay relevant and profitable in the 21st century. Join host Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke as she visits heiress to the estate Imogen Hervey-Bathurst for an all-access look at the 97-room castle, the history of its past tenants, and the inventive initiatives being taken to meet the financial demands of modern day.