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’
Credit: Country Life Picture Library
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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'Monolithic, multi-layered and quite, quite magnificent. This was love at first bite': Tom Parker Bowles on his lifelong love affair with lasagneAn upwardly mobile spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne al forno, with oozing béchamel and layered meaty magnificence, is a bona fide comfort classic, declares Tom Parker Bowles.
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Country houses, cream teas and Baywatch: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 24, 2025Thursday's Quiz of the Day asks exactly how popular Baywatch became.
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Life in miniature: the enduring charm of the model villageWhat is it about these small slices of arcadia that keep us so fascinated?
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‘If Portmeirion began life as an oddity, it has evolved into something of a phenomenon’: Celebrating a century of Britain’s most eccentric villageA romantic experiment surrounded by the natural majesty of North Wales, Portmeirion began life as an oddity, but has evolved into an architectural phenomenon kept alive by dedication.
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Seven of the UK’s best Arts and Crafts buildings — and you can stay in all of themThe Arts and Crafts movement was an international design trend with roots in the UK — and lots of buildings built and decorated in the style have since been turned into hotels.
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High Wardington House: A warm, characterful home that shows just what can be achieved with thought, invention and humourAt High Wardington House in Oxfordshire — the home of Mr and Mrs Norman Hudson — a pre-eminent country house adviser has created a home from a 300-year-old farmhouse and farmyard. Jeremy Musson explains; photography by Will Pryce for Country Life.
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Sir Edwin Lutyens and the architecture of the biggest bank in the worldSir Edwin Lutyens became the de facto architect of one of Britain's biggest financial institutions, Midland Bank — then the biggest bank in the world, and now part of the HSBC. Clive Aslet looks at how it came about through his connection with Reginald McKenna.
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'There are architects and architects, but only one ARCHITECT': Sir Edwin Lutyens and the wartime Chancellor who helped launch his stellar careerClive Aslet explores the relationship between Sir Edwin Lutyens and perhaps his most important private client, the politician and financier Reginald McKenna.
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Cath Harries — The photographer on a 15-year quest to find the most incredible doors in London -
The extraordinary Egyptian-style Leeds landmark hoping to become a second British Library — and they used to let sheep graze on the roofThe project has been awarded £10million from the Government, but will cost £70million in total.
