Carla Passino

The Legacy: Hans Sloane and the creation of the British Museum

A curious child who grew into a man of voracious intellectual curiosity, his life of collecting gave birth to one of the nation's great institutions.

Seeing the light: The lasting legacy of Sir John Soane

For Sir John Soane, the tools of the trade included skylights, tinted glasses and mirrors, as much as classical motifs, bricks and mortar. Carla Passino retraces the life of the man who chased the poetry of architecture and left an extraordinary gift to the nation

Hugh Grant's former South Kensington penthouse on the market with £700k price cut

I'm just a girl, standing in front of a 3,000 sq ft London penthouse, asking it to please let me in.

How Wimbledon went from a backwater of 46 houses to the capital's greenest suburb, 'as un-Londonish as if it were a hundred miles out'

Living in Wimbledon has long been a popular choice for those who want a mix of town and country life. Carla Passino takes a closer look.

A small historic country estate in the Dartmoor National Park that's up for sale for the first time in just under 30 years

Hidden gems come in all shapes and sizes — this particular one in the form of a Devon longhouse, crying out for restoration and set amid 19 acres of spectacular Victorian walled gardens, meadows and woodland.

A beautiful Grade II listed farmhouse near Exeter that's set within 16 acres of dreamy Devon countryside

Loxbrook Farm looks like your typical farmhouse on the outside — but its interiors tell a different story.

A beautifully remote thatched cottage in Devon with just under 13 acres of magical gardens

Lower Park is a true idyll in an enchanting rural location, surrounded by lake, pasture and woodland and offers charming accommodation.

A handsome Regency house for sale on a pretty crescent in Royal Leamington Spa

Number 5 Claredon Crescent is a beautiful six-bedroom property located on one of Leamington Spa's most desirable roads.

A magnificent house for sale in one of Kingston's most sought-after private estates

Simorgh is a sublime property, located in Coombe Estate, offering bight, easy living space and beautiful private gardens.

A wonderful home in north London that will make you forget that you're living in the capital

With a dining room to rival that of a high end restaurant in the city centre, and gardens akin to those you would find embedded deep within the rural countryside, Long Pond House is a glorious blend of city and country.

Gardens by a Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist on offer at this truly remarkable Edwardian home — and it's just as beautiful inside

One of Winchester's 'finest private residences' is up for sale for £6.95 million — and the views won't disappoint

Breathtaking Grade II listed Mulberry House is a spectacular property, not just in terms of location, but stylistically too, blending timeless Georgian features with bespoke interiors.

A palatial country home set within 100 acres of beautiful historic parklands, gardens and lakes

Every aspect of Wood House is breathtaking: From the grand interiors to the bluebell coated woods and romantic lakes.

An absolutely idyllic 400-year old home with enchanting interiors and picturesque gardens

Framed by pretty gardens and set within six acres of land, Hogbrook Farm is a real hidden gem with plenty of character in the Warwickshire countryside.

A magnificent period country house with 20 acres in the Northumberland countryside

Style and space go hand in hand at West Grange Hall, in the village of Scots Gap in Northumberland.

A former chapel that has been beautiful transformed into a spacious family home in a popular Suffolk village

Feature stained glass windows, fabulous open-plan living space and secluded gardens meet at The Chapel, in the village of Moulton.

A romantic former mill house that is surrounded by 9 acres of truly magical waterside gardens

Located amongst the rolling valleys of Pitchcombe and within walking distance of the pretty village of Painswick, is Weavers Mill: A lovely family home with truly breathtaking gardens that lies on the Painswick stream.

An elegant family home for sale in the pretty village known as 'The Gateway to the Cotswolds'

Little Ham in the Oxfordshire village of Burford offers beautiful contemporary living in a truly breathtaking setting.

A vast Tudor house in Essex surrounded by a 600-year old moat, 46 acre grounds and steeped in fascinating history

Historic grandeur, luscious pastures and plenty of 21st century touches — including a fantastic outdoor pool — meet at Stanstead Hall in Greenstead Green, Essex. Carla Passino takes a look.

A truly beautiful stately home in Bedfordshire where each room is like stepping back through a different period in time

Named 'the best preserved house in Bedfordshire,' buyers will be hard pressed to find a house as unique, or with as many fascinating historical connections than Harlington Manor.