The medieval engineering strokes of genius that led to the building of Old London Bridge
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Medieval bridges were marvels of engineering, given the technology available at the time — and nowhere more so than in the case of London Bridge, where deep, tidal flows made construction incredibly challenging. David Harrison explained more in an article that was part of our regular Thursday delve into Country Life's archives.
London has never been this quiet in 2,000 years — here’s what it looks like, and what we can learn
Credit: John Goodall
In all of its 2,000-year history, it seems unlikely that the City of London has ever stood so silent as it did during lockdown in Spring. Can we learn from the quiet, asked Architectural Editor John Goodall, who also took the photographs.
Gwrych Castle: The astonishing fantasy castle saved by the dreams and bravery of a 12-year-old boy
Credit: Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library
The Welsh castle earned fame thanks to its appearance in 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' on ITV. But Country Life were there first, to tell the story of a quite remarkable survival.
What do you do with a ruined country house? Four examples that show the way forward
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In the special issue guest edited by The Princess Royal, her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence — the chairman of the English Heritage Trust — looked at how best to manage our ruined country houses, ensuring that visiting them is both worthwhile and enjoyable.
The futuristic house of cork, fitted together like Lego, where the skylights stop it from blowing away
Credit: Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library
John Goodall investigated how a research project by architects Matthew Barnett Howland and Dido Milne led to the creation of Cork House in Eton, Berkshire, an experimental home of great style and interest — and one that also presents a challenge to the architectural world.
The Athenaeum: Ancient history, old rivals and a recent revival for the old Carlton House haunt
Credit: Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library
One of the grandest Regency clubs in London has undergone a revival in recent years. Architecture editor John Goodall looked at the remarkable story of its development on the former site of Carlton House.
How the architecture of the Cotswolds came to define the archetypal English country village
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The architecture of the Cotswolds is almost intrinsically linked to popular conceptions of the English country village. Clive Aslet considered the people and places which contributed to bringing that about.
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Ogston Hall: A romantic, well-maintained family home, diligently researched and preserved
Credit: Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library
The characterful re-working of an ancient family house in the 1850s integrated its varied elements into an impressive and coherent whole. John Martin Robinson told its story.
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Buckingham Palace: ‘There is not a historical capital in Europe which cannot show a more imposing Royal palace’
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A trip through the archives unearthed a real treasure in the form of a 1931 book about Buckingham Palace which offers a fascinatingly different perspective on one of the world's most famous buildings.
Leweston Manor: The uniquely charming house where Georgian architecture meets Art Deco interiors
Credit: Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library
Leweston Manor is a rare example of an Art Deco interior surviving within a Georgian building — and it's in daily use as a school. Roger White explained more.
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A Clarkson's Farm of one's own: Five properties with just enough farmland for you and your family, from under £1 millionMoving to the country is one thing; moving to the country and being able to grow and rear all your own food is another level entirely, and all these properties offer exactly that.
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What everyone is talking about this week: What is the right way to propose to someone?Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are the latest couple to employ 'hidden' photographers to capture their engagement — but at what cost? Will Hosie details how you should do it instead.
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Fit for a queen: The story of Queen Victoria's state bed at Arundel CastleA state bed commissioned to receive Queen Victoria at Arundel Castle has just undergone a transformative restoration, as Annabel Westman explains. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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The six best new buildings in the UK right now, in the words of the architects who helped build themThe shortlist for this year's Royal Institute of British Architects’s Stirling Prize has been revealed. Lotte Brundle takes a closer look at the projects vying for the nation's top architecture award, and the people behind them.
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'It is so full of turrets and lofty buildings, spires and towers, it looks not like a town but a city': The glamour of Glamis Castle, from Macbeth to the Queen MotherJohn Goodall looks at the eventful later history of Glamis Castle, one of the most celebrated of Scottish castles, and its association with Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother.
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Country-house treasures: Echoes of a childhood, scratched in glass at Stedcombe HouseGraffiti scrawled by a 12-year-old boy in 1788 starts a new series on the lesser-known treasures of our great country homes.
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Affordable, sustainable, rural: How a group of volunteers embarrassed the government and built some of the best new homes in the countryHazelmead has won almost every RIBA award going. The development on the outskirts of Bridport might be a springboard for a rural housing revolution, much like the Arts-and-Crafts movement more than a century ago.
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Inside the remarkable restoration of King George III's observatoryCommissioned by George III, the observatory has a long and fascinating history as a seat of scientific endeavour. It has now been restored as a home, as William Aslet reports.
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‘Its loss became a cautionary tale, and a rallying cry for architectural conservation’: The rise and fall and renewed interest in Ireland’s remarkable country housesLesley Bond traces a brief history of Ireland’s country houses and questions whether you can ever separate the house from the history it represents.
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Allerton Castle: The great country house that blends Hampton Court, Highclere and the Palace of WestminsterA disastrous fire in 2005 prompted the rebirth of Allerton Castle, North Yorkshire, an outstanding Victorian house with a deep and remarkable history. Photographs by Paul Highnam.
