Antiques Roadshow

Beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey is the setting as visitors dig out their antique treasures. Two sisters are drawn into a 'battle of the bangles' to find out who has the finest inheritance. A plain box is claimed to have a Shakespeare link and was once in Anne Hathaway's cottage. And one of the most exciting finds in Roadshow history emerges when a collection of dolls house furnishings stuns the experts

A varied and very unusual set of items are revealed in lovely Audley End in Essex. These include the sword that ended the War of Independence in America, a large collection of toilet chains, a beautiful silver container that once contained the gall stone of a goat and three vases decorated with fairies. Plus, the audience is mesmerized by an amazing, and very old, toy elephant.

The team return to Audley End in search of antique treasures. Amongst the intriguing objects on display are a table that was supposedly used to sign Napoleon's abdication and a giant bronze cockerel buried in both world wars to avoid being melted down for ammunition. And newspaper advertisements reveal a fascinating glimpse into Britain during the First World War.

An array of extraordinarily large objects are on display at Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire. Experts marvel at an enormous fishing rod, while the largest narwhal tusk the Roadshow has ever seen is revealed. A piece of trench art plays a tune from The Sound of Music, while elsewhere smell is used to decode a mystery object. And four shiny buttons return an impressive profit.

Wonderful Arley Hall in Cheshire is today’s venue for the Roadshow. A gold bracelet found mysteriously bricked up behind a wall and linked to a tragic love story is brought in for appraisal and a time capsule buried in 1886 is opened to reveal its secrets 130 years later. And a lost work by one of the most important artists of the 19th century, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, causes huge excitement.

The enchanting gardens of Arley Hall reveal an array of family treasures. Amongst the objects featured are a portrait of a visitor's mother which was painted by a highly collected Indian artist. There's a poignant diary hidden from Japanese guards by a prisoner of war whilst building the bridge over the River Kwai. And diamonds and emeralds once worn by a duchess deliver a final flourish.

The team pay a return visit to magnificent Broughton Castle. Objects exciting them include two very large portraits depicting servants who worked at the castle in the 18th century. The story of one of the first combat pilots in WWI’s Royal Flying Corp is heard. And the Roadshow’s silver expert is enthused by the arrival of the finest Chinese-made silver mug he has seen in over twenty years.

The team visit the moated manor house of Baddesley Clinton, just outside Birmingham. Fascinating finds include a gruesome box containing a long wooden peg removed from a child's eye by a surgeon in the 1780s, a glittering diamond bracelet once worn by Hollywood star Rita Hayworth and a carving of St George banished to an organ loft due to its offensive nature!

The team return to gorgeous Baddesley Clinton near Birmingham. Treasures include a rare silver box, which was once nearly drilled by the surprised owner. There is a revealing painting called The Nudist Colony's Annual Dinner Dance, and the show-closer finds two exquisite gold boxes once used by wealthy surgeons to apply snuff in the early days of the 19th century, which draw gasps from the crowd.

It’s a special edition of the Roadshow celebrating the golden age of travel. Treasures include a porthole from the wreck of the ocean liner RMS Lusitania and designer cutlery used by celebrities on board Concorde. Perhaps the most enthusiastic response is for an iron bar bearing the numbers 60103, recognized by rail enthusiasts worldwide as the number plate for iconic train the Flying Scotsman.

Ever wondered what happens after the experts drop a bombshell valuation on stunned owners? In this special edition, the most talked about finds and some surprising updates are shared. The owner of valuable jade figures reveals how he used the proceeds of their sale in tribute to his late wife. And there's a twist in the tale for the man who brought the script for the classic film The Third Man.

The Antiques Roadshow team makes a return visit to Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire. Amongst the objects featured are an extremely heavy Tudor table from a local pub that takes six sturdy men to move, an intriguing coin collection and a signed picture of Chairman Mao by Andy Warhol. And an incredibly rare and valuable 18th-century painted silk dress wows the experts.

In a very special edition of the Roadshow to honor Holocaust Memorial Day, Jewish families come together to talk, many for the first time, about life under Hitler's tyranny. Precious objects that help tell their stories include family silver hidden from the Nazis, a pair of striped trousers worn in Auschwitz and a gold coin used by a family as vital currency when fleeing over the Pyrenees.

The team visit Burton Constable Hall near Hull. Objects inspected include the first transatlantic airmail letter, the diaries of an SS officer imprisoned in Britain in World War II and letters from the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. And one family brings in 1,500 shoe buckles obsessively collected by a family member which turn out to be surprisingly valuable.

The Roadshow team return to glorious Burton Constable Hall. Objects brought in by visitors include a ship's anchor found in a garden pond, impressive costume jewelry and a medal connected to Captain Scott of the Antarctic. There is also a rare example of early flat-pack furniture dating back to the 17th century and a flimsy booklet that proved to be a very successful investment.

The team head to Caversham Park which, since World War II, was home to the BBC's Monitoring service. A very rare booklet containing notes made in the 17th century by one of Shakespeare's earliest readers is brought in. The team marvel at Indian watercolors and a chunky gold ring complete with a moving letter that tells the story of a British family who joined the Californian gold rush.

The team arrive in Wales at the birthplace of King Henry VII, Pembroke Castle. There is a royal line-up of relics, including a stick pin gifted by George V and mementoes from Queen Victoria's champion butter maker. But the most extraordinary item is a collection of photographs that tell the poignant story of the last days of the Russian royal family, the Romanovs, while in captivity in 1917.

The beautiful setting of Pembroke Castle in Wales hosts the Roadshow. Objects featured include a beguilingly rare sapphire ring that changes color in different light, Pope Pius XII's papal hat, royal yacht memorabilia and an unusual religious sculpture. And experts are stunned to hear that a collection of remarkable Anglo-Indian paintings from 1780 once decorated a village scout hut.

The experts head to Senate House in London, Britain's first skyscraper. Objects brought in include elaborately decorated stained-glass panels found in a dumpster, the hoof of Lord Cardigan's charger Ronald, which saw action at the battle of Balaclava, plus a French platinum and diamond bracelet which elicits one of the best reactions in Roadshow history when the owner learns its value.

The team head for the beautiful gardens of Trelissick in Cornwall. Objects under examination by the experts include a bust of Winston Churchill found at the bottom of a lake and a group of medals owned by a proud grandson. A lifebelt tells the graphic story of a shipwreck in which the crew were rescued in desperate circumstances and a 200-year-old port bottle is investigated.

The team head to wondrous Ightham Mote in Kent.  Family heirlooms pored over by the experts include a set of gold and porcelain false teeth from the 1850s, which triggers the grim story of denture history. Also on display are Sir Walter Scott's walking cane and two very early cricket bats dating back to the middle of the 18th century.

The Roadshow sets up camp at Ightham Mote in Kent, where they welcome 3,000 visitors laden with family heirlooms. Amongst the treasures they see are a gold ring containing a lock of the poet Byron's hair, two Chinese paintings and a remarkable cache of recently discovered postcards from 1916 which reveal how a British POW sent secret messages back to his family during World War I.

The experts visit the impressive 18th-century cotton mill of New Lanark in Scotland. Treasures featured include a pearl necklace bought cheaply at a yard sale, a valuable clock found in a flea market, and a rare cuddly toy found abandoned in a dumpster. Plus, a guest reveals how a painting is a reminder of an uncomfortable family secret that dates back to the days of Nazi Germany.

A return trip to New Lanark in Scotland finds the experts busy examining more family gems and heirlooms, hoping to unearth a treasure. Items include diamond jewels found hidden in an upholstered chair, a claret jug rescued from a pawn shop and a banner for Britain's oldest subscription library, founded in 1741.

The team return to the grounds of BBC Caversham. Items featured include a communion book originally owned by the poet Wilfred Owen, a collection of scrimshaw and an Aston Martin first driven by an RAF group captain in World War II. Plus, a remarkably well preserved, finely embroidered stumpwork box from the 17th century brings gasps of delight and surprise when its value is announced.