We 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.
St Bartholomew-the-Great: A living fossil in the City of London
In 2023, two connected institutions in the heart of London — the church of St Bartholomew-the-Great and St Bartholomew’s Hospital in Smithfield, London — celebrated their 900th anniversary. John Goodall took a look in a two-part article, with superb photographs by Will Pryce.
West Horsley Place, Surrey: The real-life country house where the BBC’s Ghosts is filmed
The BBC comedy Ghosts started out under the radar, but grew to become one of the best-loved television sitcoms to come out of the UK in years. In April we paid a visit to the house where it is filmed: West Horsley Place in Surrey.
Inside Windsor Castle, by kind permission of the Sovereign
Illustrated with photographs taken in the last few days of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, this quite extraordinary look inside one of the world’s greatest castles is simply unmissable.
The Reform Club: Inside ‘the most magnificent club in London’, almost unchanged since the days of Phileas Fogg
Few buildings are more famous for their fictional roles than their real-life ones, but the Reform Club is one such example. We took a look inside and discovered its history.
Lincoln Cathedral: The 950-year story of one of Europe’s very greatest cathedrals
On the 950th anniversary of the royal transfer of The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin, Lincoln, John Goodall looked at the medieval development of what is without doubt one of Europe’s most brilliantly conceived cathedrals.
The best country house architects in Britain
The definitive list of the architects who you can trust with the creation, restoration or re-imagination of a country house.
Somerton: The ruined medieval castle transformed into a magical family home
On the edge of the Fens within distant sight of Lincoln Cathedral, Somerton Castle appears to be a handsome 17th-century house with a tower most surprisingly stuck on the end. It is that, yet it’s also a comfortable, modern family home.
How a ‘scarred and degraded’ landscape became a 21st century Reptonian marvel with a dream country house at its heart
A landscape previously used for intensive farming proved to be an inspiring example of a house rooted in the history and character of its surroundings.
Fawley Hill: Inside the wacky and wonderful home of the late Sir William McAlpine
A dining room with a tented ceiling, a swimming pool entered via a psychedelic door and a train set running around the breakfast table? Marcus Binney looked at a home filled with remarkable collections and striking interiors that reflect its creator’s enthusiasms and interests.
Munstead Wood: The house that Edwin Lutyens built for Gertrude Jekyll
This year, Munstead Wood in Surrey was saved by the National Trust. Clive Aslet explained how it came from a happy friendship between a great gardener and architect, both closely connected to Country Life.
