Julian Fellowes takes us on a journey to discover the real people behind two of Britain's most incredible houses, Burghley House and Goodwood House. In this compelling two-part factual series Julian plays detective and unearths the houses' amazing history, both through the lives of those that owned them and those that served in them. They are the stories of the real Lady Marys and Lord Granthams, the real Bates and Anna. Julian says: "The families who built and lived in these houses were governing the country. Their servants were making the whole thing work. Pretty well all of us have got ancestors who were either giving orders, or taking them, or probably both".

From the most significant moments in our history, the execution of Mary Queen of Scots and the Battle of Waterloo, to the uncovering of untold stories of scandalous marriage, a lusty painter, a cruelly slain cook, a groom murdered and a tragic story of a disgraced dairy maid. Julian's discoveries and powerful storytelling bring history to a human level. He shows us that these houses are part of all our history: "These are not just houses for posh people to live in, their history belongs to all of us".