When you’re asked to imagine an iconic item of clothing the humble smock probably doesn’t come to mind. However, in this episode, Dr Ollie Douglas, Curator at The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), convinces me as to the importance of the smock to English identity.

In this episode, Zofia Matyjaszkiewicz, who is the Collections Assistant at the Roman Baths in Bath, tells me why a patera – a shallow libation bowl – is her underrated object at this world-famous site.

While the previous episode of Past Matters reminded listeners to look down when visiting historic houses, in a pleasing symmetry, this episode reminds them to look up.

This episode of Past Matters should encourage visitors to England’s finest stately homes to look down as well as up for future visits, as Assistant Curator and Archivist at Harewood House, Becky Burton, describes the significance of a grand Axminster carpet for social standing.

As a special Christmas treat for you, my listeners, I have done something a bit different for this episode of Past Matters. Instead of asking a museum, gallery or historic house what their most underrated item is, I have instead asked historian Nicola Tallis, what historical object she thinks is underrated.

Apsley House (also known as No.1 London) is the home of the Dukes of Wellington and for the first time has extended its opening times to the 22nd December 2019 and decorated the house in 1840s style Christmas decorations. Visitors can therefore experience this already beautiful building as it may have looked for a Georgian Christmas. It therefore seemed fitting to feature one of the Christmas special episodes here.