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Thomas Hardy and the country house: 'Irregularity is the genius of Gothic architecture'
With the help of specially commissioned drawings by Matthew Rice, Jeremy Musson considers the abiding presence of the stone-built manor house in the stories of Thomas Hardy.
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Stationers’ Hall, one of London's best-kept secrets: 'The observant pedestrian might briefly glimpse it through an archway. Most pass by oblivious'
The home of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers Established in 1403, the Stationers’ Company was long responsible for regulating the printing industry. Lucy Denton looks at the history of this remarkable institution and its headquarters: Stationers’ Hall, London EC4.
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James I's love affair with Apethorpe, the great country house that 'surpasses all belief'
Apethorpe Palace in Northamptonshire — a seat of Baron and Baroness von Pfetten — was enlarged in the 1560s and 1620s specifically to receive first Elizabeth I, and then James I. John Goodall tells the story.
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Wooden walls restored: The astonishing restoration of the church at Urși
The painted church of the Annunciation and the Archangel Michael, Urși, Vâlcea County, Romania, has been the object of an heroic 10-year restoration programme,
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Apethorpe Palace, 'the stuff of dreams', and the spectacular renewal of one of England's great Jacobean houses
Apethorpe Palace, Northamptonshire — a seat of Baron and Baroness von Pfetten — is as grand as a country house can get, especially since its recent restoration work. Jeremy Musson celebrates the spectacular renewal of one of England’s great Jacobean houses.
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Knowsley Hall: How Liverpool's grandest country house — and one of the largest homes in England — was brought back to life
Knowsley Hall in Merseyside was returned from institutional use in the 1990s to become the seat of the Earl and Countess of Derby. John Martin Robinson reports on progress to one of the most ambitious restorations of an English country house.
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'Wrecking balls swung from the ceiling, pillars were shown toppling, cornices crumbled... it was sensational': The groundbreaking museum exhibition that helped save the country house
After years of neglect and countless demolitions, 1974 witnessed a revolution in attitudes towards country houses. It proved a turning point in Britain’s treatment of its old buildings generally and the saviour of places such as Covent Garden, as Simon Jenkins explains.
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‘They knew they were all going through the same hell’: The graffiti of the First World War
Memorials to those lost in the First World War can cloud the fact that each name represents a man’s life. The inscriptions they left behind, however, recall them as individuals, says David Crossland.
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London's Lost Interiors: Inside the houses of the capital's plutocrats in the days when money was literally no object
A new book, 'London: Lost Interiors', explores the lost riches of London’s grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages, using wonderful images preserved in the Historic England Archive.
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'The scream you wake on at the end of a nightmare': Meet the buildings designed by the 'Rogue Goths'
A new book published by The Victorian Society and Liverpool University Press shines a light on three lesser-known Victorian architects.
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Holyrood: Inside The King's official residence in Scotland, from throne room to the bed chamber of Mary, Queen of Scots
Holyrood — 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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Ptolemy Dean: The magic that happens when you stop to draw a place, instead of just taking a photograph
A new book examines the streetscapes of our historic towns and marvels at what we can easily take for granted. Its author, Ptolemy Dean, encourages us to recognise their importance and considers what we can learn from them. Illustrations by Ptolemy Dean.
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Curious Questions: Why was the original Euston Station destroyed in one of the greatest acts of cultural vandalism Britain has ever seen?
One of the great masterpieces of 19th century, the original Euston Station, was built in the years after Queen Victoria came to the throne. Less than 125 years later it was razed to the ground; Martin Fone takes a look at the reasons why.
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All the winners from the 2024 Georgian Group Architectural Awards
This year’s Georgian Group’s Architectural Awards, sponsored by Savills, attracted another outstanding crop of entries. Here are all the winners, as chosen by a panel of judges chaired by Country Life's Architectural Editor, John Goodall.
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Fresh calls to list Jubilee Line extension stations
The stations opened in 1999 deserve to be recognised and protected from future development, according to campaigners.
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Mount Vernon: A tour of the 'handsome and genteel' interior of George Washington's country home
Jeremy Musson reports on the recent campaign to restore the memorable interiors of George and Martha Washington’s country home. Photographs by Gavin Ashworth, courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
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The 'Death Pyramid' of Primrose Hill
Four times the height of St Paul's Cathedral, and with enough room for 5 million bodies, the Metropolitan Sepulchre was a fascinating curiosity that thankfully never left the drawing board.
