Harlaxton Manor, Lincolnshire: An American evolution
A landmark of Victorian England that was restored to splendour thanks to an American university.
Marston House, Somerset: A magnificent example of Victorian enrichment of a great Georgian country house
John Robinson on the remarkable history of this building and its return to private occupation after being saved from the wrecking ball.
Ockwells Manor, Berkshire: An insight into the splendours of grand living in 15th-century England
John Goodall on how a delightful timber-frame house offers insights into the realities of luxurious 15th-century living and the brutal complexities of Lancastrian politics.
Ince Castle, Cornwall: A country house risen from the flames
A serious fire can be the end of a country house, but, on occasion, it can also offer the opportunity for a sensitive and thoughtful reworking of a building. Ince Castle demonstrates this to perfection.
The demolition of Halnaby Hall is a warning from history, but destruction needn’t always be a disaster
The loss of our great country houses is lamentable, but need not always spell doom. Lucy Denton of Bidwells – who has family connections to the infamously-demolished Halnaby Hall – explains.
Stockton House, Wiltshire: An Elizabethan house packed with 21st century surprises
It takes a practised eye to spot what has happened to Stockton House over the past four years. At first sight, the house, set in Wiltshire’s lovely Wylye Valley, looks much as it did when Country Life last visited in 1984 or even when we first wrote about it in 1905. Read more at https://www.countrylife.co.uk/architecture/stockton-house-wiltshire-subtly-improving-on-the-elizabethans-172661#pgmTW8WhcvYHBuzW.99
Woodhall Park, Hertfordshire: An exemplary example of restoration that highlights the importance of colour in Georgian interiors
Woodhall Park was the creation of two notorious Indian nabobs, Sir Thomas Rumbold and Paul Benfield. Both men grew exceedingly and rapidly rich in the 1760s. Both returned to England to invest their new fortunes in a country estate.
Capheaton Hall, Northumberland: The revival of a country house that narrowly avoided demolition
The Swinburnes, to whose descendants this house still belongs, came into possession of Capheaton in 1270. Against all the odds they're still there and going strong.
Ashby St Legers: A spectacular house where the Gunpowder Plot was hatched
This house associated with the Gunpowder Plot was splendidly enlarged by Lutyens and is now enjoying a new lease of life as a modern family home.
Chenies Manor: The Tudor estate that encompasses an ancient oak tree beneath which Elizabeth I lost a piece of jewellery
This Tudor house was the unlikely venue for the first meeting of the founding group of The Arts Society. John Goodall tells its remarkable story.
The Country House Library: Why these rooms and their collections need to be taken much more seriously
A new account of the country-house library will compel us all to reassess these rooms and their collections, says John
Broomhall, Fife: A stupendous country house restored by the Earl of Elgin after 40 years of thought
The Earl of Elgin, celebrated for securing the sculpture from the Parthenon, spent 40 years toying with the reconstruction of
Alston Court, Suffolk: A vivid insight into Tudor living on the grand scale
One of the most important late-medieval merchant’s houses in the country offers a vivid insight into Tudor living on the
Stanford Hall, Leicestershire: A vibrant estate playing an active role in the world around it
An ambitious round of restoration work is reviving an estate and country house after a challenging 20th century. John Goodall
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The real name of a 'ghost' rainbow, the first ever omnishambles, and golf on the moon: Country Life Quiz of the Day 20 February 2025Some real brainteasers for you in our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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Tom Parker Bowles's favourite recipe: French onion soupThis dish is no mere Gallic broth, rather pure bonhomie in a bowl — a boozy, beefy, allium-scented masterpiece that cries out for the chill depths of winter
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The fire that destroyed Bramham Park — and the astonishing revival that it sparkedIn the second of three articles on Bramham Park, West Yorkshire — the home of Nick and Rachel Lane Fox — John Goodall tells the story of the destruction of this house by fire in 1828 and its astonishing revival that continues into the 21st century.
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Bramham Park: A Palladian premonitionBramham Park is one of the most original and idiosyncratic houses of early 18th-century Yorkshire. Richard Hewlings examines its history and origins, and offers a fresh analysis of its architecture. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Seven of the UKs best Art Deco cinemas that help remind us of what we have (wrongly) long stopped expecting from public buildingsFrom the birthplace of modern cinema, to the home of the largest Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ in Europe, the UK’s remaining Art Deco cinemas are flourishing. Here are seven of the best.
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Brockfield Hall, the great Yorkshire house that's gone from Regency mansion to modern family homeBrockfield Hall in North Yorkshire is the family home of Charlie Wood and Hatta Byng, editor of House & Garden, who have transformed it since they came here in 2020, winning multiple awards in the process. John Martin Robinson reports on the restoration project that revived this compact Regency house as a modern family home. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Country Life's top 10 architecture stories of 2024, from the palace that's 'the stuff of dreams' to a Palladian masterpiece you can rent by the weekendWe take a look back at our most popular architecture articles of the last 12 months.
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Holyrood: Inside The King's official residence in Scotland, from throne room to the bed chamber of Mary, Queen of ScotsHolyrood — or, to give it its full title, The Palace of Holyroodhouse — is the official residence in Scotland of His Majesty King Charles III. To coincide with the publication of a new history of the palace, John Goodall offers an overview of the creation, abandonment and rebirth of this working royal residence over the past 900 years. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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From Windsor Castle and the Reform Club to the house where Ghosts is filmed: Country Life's best architecture stories of 2023We take a look back at a wonderful year of architecture articles in Country Life, including an astonishing look inside Windsor Castle with pictures taken just days before the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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Hellifield Peel Tower: The miraculous revival of a medieval tower in YorkshireHellifield Peel Tower in North Yorkshire was not so long ago a decaying shell. Now, this medieval peel tower has undergone a near miraculous restoration and revival as a family home. Jeremy Musson reports. Photographs by Christopher John for Country Life.
