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The tale of Avington Park: ‘I have just bought a house. It doesn’t have five bedrooms, but 50. I think you should probably come home.’
Avington Park, Hampshire — the home of Sarah and Charlie Bullen — is a home with rather astonishing history that’s superbly set in the valley of the River Itchen. John Goodall finds out more; photographs by Will Pryce.
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Notre Dame: The soul of Paris, the heart of France
The devastating fire at Notre Dame in Paris has illustrated the huge affection in which this cathedral is held in Paris and across the world. It is an exceptional building that deserves its high reputation – John Goodall explains why.
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Sir Edwin Lutyens: Britain's greatest architect?
This year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edwin Lutyens, one of Britain’s most celebrated architects. John Goodall revisits his life, personality and work.
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The Hope Mausoleum, Deepdene: As grand a resting place as any of the great and the good could wish for
The restoration of this once-forgotten 19th-century mausoleum in Surrey is 'heroic', says John Goodall. Photography by Justin Paget for the Country Life Picture Library.
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Inside the restored Brighton Pavilion: ‘It’s hard to imagine a more perfect time to visit this extraordinary Regency creation’
After a major restoration of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, it is possible once again to enjoy one of the interiors created to satisfy the opulent tastes of the Prince Regent. John Goodall takes an in-depth look at the Saloon, with photographs by Paul Highnam.
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The Castle of Mey: Inside the Queen Mother's beloved home in Scotland
A visit to Scotland in the first months of her widowhood encouraged The Queen Mother to buy and restore a castle. John Goodall describes the history of the building and the achievements of the trust that has managed it for the past 22 years.
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Tonight we're going to party like it's 1929: A look back at Christmas Parties of the past
Office Christmas parties have been going on as long as there have been offices, but most of us have little idea about what once went on when our great-grandparents let their hair down. Recent discoveries, however, have unearthed some details of Country Life's Christmas parties of the past – John Goodall takes a look.
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The Cathedral of Christ, Liverpool: The fascinating story of Britain's largest cathedral
The architect who created the red telephone kiosk and the London power station today occupied by Tate Modern also designed Britain’s largest cathedral. John Goodall looks at the story of this masterpiece.
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Six of Britain’s finest art and building conservationists on history, technology and the secrets of their trades
It takes a huge amount of skill and technical expertise to restore historic objects and interiors. John Goodall speaks to six specialists about their work and its challenges.
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Amanyangyun, Shanghai: Enjoying history in luxury
A newly opened luxury resort is the product of extraordinary conservation project. It offers visitors an intriguing insight into Chinese culture, as John Goodall explains.
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Le Relais de Chambord: The hotel in the shadow of a masterpiece
A new hotel opens on the grounds of the Châteax de Chambord, allowing visitors to bask in the glory of the French Renaissance castle. John Goodall reports.
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The story of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, Westminster Abbey's first major addition in 250 years
The architectural choices behind the recent additions to Westminster Abbey mark them out as a radical departure. John Goodall admires the success of the project, with photographs by Paul Highnam.
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Harlaxton Manor, Lincolnshire: An American evolution
Over the past half century, the care of an American university has returned one of the landmark buildings of early Victorian England to life and splendour. John Goodall reports.
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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 grand scale, as John Goodall discovers.
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Chenies Manor, Buckinghamshire: The Tudor estate that encompasses the 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.
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Titanic Hotel, Belfast review: A shipyard escape
John Goodall paid a visit to Belfast's recently-opened Titanic Hotel, a place full of clever themed touches to celebrate the ill-fated ocean liner.
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Plumpton Rocks, Harrogate: Heaven on earth
Recent restoration work has helped re-create a celebrated landscape garden crafted in the late 18th century around a dramatic gritstone outcrop, as John Goodall explains.
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The Chapel of Trinity College, Oxford: A return to splendour
One of Oxford’s most admired interiors has been revived, as John Goodall reports.
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Ockwells Manor, Berkshire: An insight into the splendours of grand living in 15th-century England
A delightful timber-frame house offers insights into the realities of luxurious 15th-century living and the brutal complexities of Lancastrian politics, as John Goodall explains.
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Capheaton Hall, Northumberland: The revival of a country house that narrowly avoided demolition
A house that narrowly avoided demolition after the Second World War has been gradually revived by the family that has occupied it for the past seven centuries, as John Goodall explains.
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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 his house, which has recently been restored for the 21st century, as John Goodall explains.
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Orthopaedic shoe-making: The bridge between architecture and podiatry
John Goodall meets Bill Bird, who, having studied architecture at the Bartlett, now makes orthopaedic shoes.
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Ghent: Belgium’s best-kept secret
John Goodall visits Ghent, a city full of unexpected delights.
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In the cathedral’s shadow: The Cathedral Close, Wells
The splendours of Wells Cathedral can easily distract from the astonishing architecture that surrounds it. In the second of two articles, John Goodall describes the remarkable history of the precinct.
