The best country house architects in Britain

More from the Country Life Top 100:

• Best landscape designers in Britain
• Best interior designers in Britain
• Best country house specialists in Britain

The list this year includes three new entrants for 2025: Fleming Architects, William Smalley and SPASE.

ADAM Architecture

This leading practice specialises in traditional architecture and urban design from its studios in London and Winchester. Five distinguished directors lead a team of 100, often working on listed buildings to bring them up to modern comfort and energy-efficiency standards, always retaining their historic fabric and character, as evidenced in the practice’s work at Spetchley Park, Worcestershire (‘An architectural accident’ and ‘Making history live’, September 13 and 20, 2023).

01962 843843; www.adamarchitecture.com

Adam Richards Architects

Adam Richards is based in the South Downs, from where he takes on projects across the UK and overseas. He has designed several award-winning buildings, including Nithurst Farm, his own home in West Sussex (‘Stairway to Heaven’, August 5, 2020). A recently completed project to refurbish and extend a listed manor house was the 2024 winner of the Georgian Group’s Giles Worsley Award for a New Building in the Spirit of the Georgian Era. The practice is currently working on a major renovation of a Grade II*-listed John Nash house in London’s Regents Park.

020-7613 5077; www.adamrichards.co.uk

Ben Pentreath

Ben Pentreath has an outstanding reputation for breathing new life into traditional buildings and for designing elegantly proportioned and timeless new ones. He heads an architectural and interior-design team of just over 40, undertaking a wide variety of projects in town and country, some of which can be enjoyed in his recently published book An English Vision: Traditional Architecture and Decoration for Today (Rizzoli). His delightful homewares shop, Pentreath & Hall, which he runs with Bridie Hall, offers a window on to his playful take on classic style.

020-7430 2424; www.benpentreath.com

Benjamin Tindall Architects

Renowned for repairs and alterations to historic buildings, this practice has been based in Edinburgh’s Old Town for more than 40 years. Benjamin Tindall’s love of craftsmanship means the firm offers a full range of services, from landscaping to the design of light fittings, furniture and ironmongery. Notable projects include Bonnington House at Jupiter Artland Sculpture Park, Edinburgh, and an upgrade and net-zero work to a writers’ retreat, Hawthornden Castle, Midlothian.

0131-220 3366; www.benjamintindallarchitects.co.uk

Craig Hamilton Architects

With offices in Radnorshire and Hampshire, Craig Hamilton Architects is an award-winning practice led by Craig Hamilton and Dr Gail Kenton. Since its inception in 1991, the firm has gained a reputation for progressive Classical architecture and for creating distinctive, finely detailed buildings, such as Williamstrip Chapel, Gloucestershire (‘Developing the Classical language’, July 17, 2019). Recent projects include new dower houses in Scotland and Staffordshire, a new house in Warwickshire and the restoration of historic houses in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. US work includes a commission in Dallas and a new ranch in eastern Texas.

01982 553312; www.craighamiltonarchitects.com

Donald Insall Associates

This leading architectural practice, founded in 1958 and which now has eight offices around the UK, specialises in the care, repair and adaptation of historic buildings and the design of new buildings on sensitive sites. Current projects include the multi-phase revitalisation of Wentworth Woodhouse in South Yorkshire and the Europa Nostra-winning conservation of Westminster Hall, London W1.

020-7245 9888; www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk

Fleming Architects

Based in a barn conversion in the Cotswolds, Christian Fleming shuns ostentation, preferring to produce designs that blend elegant proportion and authentic detailing with an understanding of how to make a comfortable home geared to modern living. Mr Fleming specialises in private houses, many in the Cotswolds and Home Counties and now also further afield, undertaking new-build houses and extensions and renovations of historic properties with a team of 20. ‘I don’t want the practice to become so big that I don’t have an eye on everything we do,’ he says. ‘A project is such an individual journey, so we like to ensure each design is imaginative with a little off-centre personality.’ For this reason, services can extend to interior detailing when required, although the practice is also a favourite among leading interior designers.

01451 861044; www.flemingarchitects.co.uk

Francis Terry and Associates

Francis Terry is an award-winning architect renowned for designing country houses in the Classical style, such as Woodford Hill Farm, Northamptonshire (‘Fitting like a glove’, July 24, 2024). He also works on historic buildings and is currently designing the new tapestry drawing room at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire.

01206 580528; www.ftanda.co.uk

Giles Quarme Architects

Giles Quarme and Natasha Brown run this historic-architecture practice known for its sensitive repairs, alterations, extensions and traditionally designed new homes, including a house in a Capability Brown park at Newnham Paddox, Warwickshire (‘Novelty with age’, March 13, 2024). Both are accredited in conservation and frequently consult for other architectural practices. Current projects include new wings for a Palladian villa and a large 18th-century private residence in London designed by Robert Adam.

020-7582 0748; www.quarme.co.uk

GRAS

Specialists in the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings across the UK and Ireland for more than 40 years, this Edinburgh-based practice is now headed by Gunnar Groves-Raines. It enjoys a developing reputation for its progressive new houses, interior design, objects, and furniture. Current projects include the transformation of a Victorian sporting lodge on Scotland’s north coast into a retreat hotel, a new lake house in New York State, US, and the restoration and adaptation of a Georgian house and coach house on the Solent, Hampshire.

0131-467 7777; https://gras.co

Hoare, Ridge & Morris

Mark Hoare and Ted Ridge, with Charles Morris as consultant, run this Suffolk-based creative practice, which designs alterations and additions to country, townhouses and new buildings with traditional character. The practice works all over the UK, carrying out significant alterations at Somerton Castle in Lincolnshire (‘From ruin to rebirth’, November 15, 2023) and designing the new shop at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

01728 688747; www.hrma.co.uk

Ian Adam-Smith Architects

English country-house specialist Ian Adam-Smith, his son Mungo and their team concentrate primarily on private houses and estates across London and the South-East. The practice has taken on important houses by Lutyens and Voysey and also has a particular skill in creating high-specification new houses, rich in architectural detail, that appear to have evolved over the centuries. Current projects include an estate in the South Downs with house, lodge, cottages, model farm buildings and a walled garden, a new build on the south coast and the refurbishment and extension of a 1730s home in Surrey, complete with a Gertrude Jekyll garden.

01428 644644; www.ianadam-smith.co.uk

John Simpson Architects

A leading proponent of New Classicism and a favourite of The King for his work at the Poundbury development in Dorset and the redevelopment of the Queen’s Galleries (now The King’s Galleries), Prof John Simpson is known for both residential and institutional designs. His award-winning practice undertakes projects worldwide, including a development at Bois de Boulogne, Paris, in keeping with the French capital’s vernacular (and designed to Passivhaus standards) and a country house in Hungary. His own timber-frame and thatched new-build Hampshire home, Harewell Hall, has been featured in Country Life (April 14, 2021).

020-7405 1285; www.johnsimpsonarchitects.com

Johnston Cave Associates

The practice, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is well respected for its sensitive design of substantial buildings in established settings and the integration of new ideas and modern services into old country houses. Current projects include the restoration of an 18th-century bathing house in Northern Ireland, a new-build country house in Surrey, the remodelling of a medieval manor house in Oxfordshire and the restoration of an 1830s hôtel particulier in Paris.

01865 865165; www.johnstoncave.com

Marc Deaves Architect

Marc Deaves is an architect and adviser on historic and listed buildings, focusing on work in the Cotswolds and Home Counties. He takes on a small number of projects each year, for which he combines sympathetic restoration with the demands of modern living and improved energy efficiency.

His projects include the 18th-century Chandler’s House in Wiltshire (‘Style with sympathy’, March 8, 2023) and the comprehensive refurbishment and restoration of Stowell Park, a Grade II*-listed mansion in Gloucestershire with Jacobean origins.

07970 458025; www.marcdeaves.com

Peregrine Bryant Architects

Renowned for sensitively conserving historic buildings, this practice is headed by directors Paul Chatham, James Hall and Laura Morgante, with Peregrine Bryant now acting as a consultant. Projects include the adaptation of a historic hunting lodge, Wakefield Little Lodge in Northamptonshire (‘A forest lawn renewed’, November 9, 2022), as well as ongoing work at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3, notably the adaptation of Sir John Soane’s Grade II*-listed Stable Block to create a new museum, which opened in October last year.

020-7384 2111; www.peregrine-bryant.co.uk

Philip Hughes Associates

Philip Hughes is the recipient of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) 2024 Esher Award for his contribution to the conservation of historic buildings. He established his surveying and architectural practice in 1982, specialising in repairing and conserving historic buildings; he counts private individuals, the National Trust and English Heritage among his clients.

Mr Hughes’s current projects include repairs and improvements to the Grade I-listed Bridgwater Art Centre, Somerset, which has an illustrious history and is believed to be the oldest Arts centre in England, major repairs to Corfe Castle, Dorset, and first-phase stabilisation works to a Grade I-listed medieval barn that incorporates a monastic hammer-beam roof.

01963 824240; www.pha-building-conservation.co.uk

Ptolemy Dean Architects

Historic-building conservationist, author and television presenter Ptolemy Dean is the 19th Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey, a post once held by Sir Christopher Wren. His practice is known for its respect and care for ancient buildings and the sensitive design of new ones, winning the Best Member’s Built Project 2024 prize from the Traditional Architecture Group for its work on the buildings of the Aldourie estate on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland (‘A sense of delight’, February 19). Mr Dean’s most recent book, Streetscapes: Navigating Historic English Towns (Lund Humphries), was published in September 2024.

020-7378 7714; www.ptolemydean.co.uk

Purcell

This internationally renowned architectural and heritage consultancy practice, founded in 1947, today has 11 studios across the UK, plus others in Hong Kong and in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart in Australia. Its forte is bringing contemporary design solutions to historic environments, such as the most significant transformation of the National Portrait Gallery, London WC2, since it opened in 1896. That project was undertaken in collaboration with Jamie Fobert Architects and shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize. Residential work includes the repair, extension and adaptation of the Grade I-listed Ledston Hall in Yorkshire. Its award-winning restoration of Boston Manor House, Brentford, was featured in Country Life (March 6, 2024).

020-7397 7171; www.purcelluk.com

Quinlan Terry Architects

This practice, led by partners Quinlan Terry and Roger Barrell, is known for designing new Classical residential and public buildings that sympathise with their surroundings and overseeing the restoration and alteration of existing buildings. Projects include Tiverton House, a new three-storey house in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, which won the New Georgian Country House prize at the Georgian Group Architectural Awards 2024, and Wolverton Hall Folly in Worcestershire, a new garden folly inspired by Tudor and Georgian design that featured in Country Life (‘Not so foolish’, July 15, 2020).

01206 323186; www.qtarchitects.com

Richard Parr Associates

Founded by Richard Parr in 2013, this award-winning architectural practice is well known for its ‘modern traditionalist’ approach to private residential and boutique hotel projects around the UK, with a reputation for reinventing historically sensitive sites. It is currently working on the restoration of a Grade II*-listed Somerset country house, a sustainable new-build home in Suffolk and a new lakeside residence in Surrey.

01453 860200; www.richardparr.com

Russell Taylor Architects

A well-respected expert on Classical and traditional architecture, Russell Taylor is renowned for his mastery of detail in designs ranging from houses, orangeries and garden pavilions to chimneypieces and furniture. The practice has recently achieved notable consents on Grade I- and II*-listed buildings for radical works adapting them to modern living, yet also respecting their character, with current projects under way in southern and western counties and in London.

020-7261 1984; www.rtarchitects.co.uk

Simon Morray-Jones

Well known for the passionate conservation of historic properties in Bath, where the practice is based, this firm has wide-ranging experience in interiors, conservation and new-build work, mainly across residential and hotel sectors. Ongoing projects include the refurbishment and extension of a historic barn and a new contemporary house in the Cotswolds, the repair and creative re-use of an inn in Somerset and the repair, extension and interiors of a listed villa by John Nash in Regent’s Park, London.

01225 787900; www.sm-j.com

Smallwood Architects

Smallwood is known for its expertise in the design and delivery of medium to large country and townhouses, as well as sensitive alterations to historic buildings, and in designing equestrian buildings and masterplans for large country estates. The firm has offices in London and the West Country and operates across the UK, Ireland and beyond. Recent projects include a country estate in Hampshire, encompassing the main house, swimming pool and outbuildings, as well as a Grade I-listed property in central London. The new Gothic-style orangery at Elton Hall, Cambridgeshire, was featured in Country Life (June 9, 2021).

020-7376 5744; www.smallwoodarchitects.co.uk

SPASE

Led by founder Stefan Pitman, an adviser to Historic Royal Palaces, this practice of architects and surveyors is based in Dorset. It is known for the sensitive preservation of listed buildings, as well as new-build developments, extensions and adaptations. It is also fast earning a reputation for developing environmentally progressive solutions for heritage sites. A shining example is the pioneering and award-winning net-zero transformation of a Grade I-listed Tudor manor house, Athelhampton in Dorchester, Dorset, achieved with solar, Tesla batteries and ground- and air-source heat pumps.

‘Older buildings often embody the culture, values and craftsmanship of their time — and preserving these features honours the local heritage,’ says Mr Pitman. ‘At the same time, renovation offers a chance to address modern issues, such as energy efficiency and building health, by carefully updating materials, systems and layouts.’

The firm recently won an award from the Georgian Group for its restoration work on Sherborne House in Sherborne, Dorset, bringing a building that had been listed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register back to life. Using local, traditional and sustainable materials, the restored town-house — including a medieval wing — is now open as an Arts centre.

01305 301302; www.spase.co.uk

Stuart Martin Architects

Based in Dorset, this practice specialises in one-off houses in the Classical and vernacular tradition and in sympathetic conservation work across southern England. The imaginative extension of Willards Farm in Surrey in the spirit of Lutyens and the Arts-and-Crafts Movement appeared in Country Life (April 20, 2022), and his handcrafted Cedar Cottage in Somerset was awarded the Traditional Architecture Group Best Member’s Built Project 2023.

01935 83543; www.stuartmartinarchitects.com

Thomas Croft Architects

This esteemed practice, with headquarters in London, was founded by Thomas Croft in 1995. It is particularly strong on new buildings in traditional settings and renovations of historical old buildings, including a recent project to restore the integrity of a Grade II-listed townhouse of the 1730s in Mayfair, which was awarded a 2024 commendation from The Georgian Group.

Counting some of London’s great estates, Sotheby’s and the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Isle of Wight among its clients, the practice has also recently completed a contemporary folly, The Translucent Tower, for Doddington Place Gardens in Kent, and the restoration of a badly altered Edwardian friary in Hampstead, London NW3.

020-8962 0066; www.thomascroft.com

Tom Turner Architects

Based in the Sussex countryside, Tom Turner Architects specialises in designing timeless country homes and restoring historic buildings with sensitivity and craftsmanship. Inspired by the rich tradition of English architecture — from vernacular farmhouses to grand Georgian homes — Tom Turner is renowned for blending a quiet simplicity with a deep understanding of the past. Current projects include a new house on the edge of a lake in Surrey, built using natural materials informed by nearby farm buildings, and the transformation of a listed 16th-century manor house in Staffordshire.

07570 977231; www.tomturnerarchitects.com

William Smalley

William Smalley is particularly admired for his ability to combine a pared-back aesthetic with a sense of homeliness and warmth, evident in a range of projects, including a new house in an 18th-century park, the updating of Liscombe House in Buckinghamshire and the full refurbishment of a thatched cottage in Berkshire near Henley-on-Thames, including a new extension and detached outbuilding, all with contemporary thatched detailing. The practice has also recently completed the restoration and conversion of a listed building in Pimlico to create the new London gallery space for antique dealer Christopher Howe.

Mr Smalley oversees each project, offering a rare sensibility for combining old and new. His first book, Quiet Spaces (Thames & Hudson), places his own work alongside buildings that have inspired him, creating an uplifting collection of tranquil, light-filled spaces. ‘For something so solid, architecture is strangely emotional,’ he says. ‘I like spaces that give peace, visually and emotionally.’

020-7242 0028; www.williamsmalley.com

Yiangou Architects

This Cotswold-based practice, established more than 40 years ago, works almost exclusively on private residential projects, particularly new-build country houses, pool houses and leisure buildings. The practice recently won the Georgian Group award for a New Building in a Georgian Context for its work to design a new wing for a Grade I-listed house on the River Avon in Wiltshire.

01285 888150; www.yiangou.com

Country Life Top 100 picture credits: Jack Badworth; Jo Thompson; Yiangou; Max Rolle; Research by Amelia Thorpe; Adrian Lambert; Jason Ingran; Tom Mannion 2018 Andy Manshalt Claire Takach Photography Simon Brown Chris Walteld Photography, Clive Rose, Oukar Proctor; Kally Marshall, Marry Crowder, Paul Manuey; Helen Cathcart; Martin Monelt Marianne Majerus Garden Images; Eva Nemeth/Country Life Picture Library Future Pie; Simon Uptor; Harlet Chalis; Richard Bloom, Rachel Warne: Nick Smith, Jake Easthan;