The medieval engineering strokes of genius that led to the building of Old London Bridge
Credit: Getty
Medieval bridges were marvels of engineering, given the technology available at the time — and nowhere more so than in the case of London Bridge, where deep, tidal flows made construction incredibly challenging. David Harrison explained more in an article that was part of our regular Thursday delve into Country Life's archives.
London has never been this quiet in 2,000 years — here’s what it looks like, and what we can learn
Credit: John Goodall
In all of its 2,000-year history, it seems unlikely that the City of London has ever stood so silent as it did during lockdown in Spring. Can we learn from the quiet, asked Architectural Editor John Goodall, who also took the photographs.
Gwrych Castle: The astonishing fantasy castle saved by the dreams and bravery of a 12-year-old boy
Credit: Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library
The Welsh castle earned fame thanks to its appearance in 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' on ITV. But Country Life were there first, to tell the story of a quite remarkable survival.
What do you do with a ruined country house? Four examples that show the way forward
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In the special issue guest edited by The Princess Royal, her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence — the chairman of the English Heritage Trust — looked at how best to manage our ruined country houses, ensuring that visiting them is both worthwhile and enjoyable.
The futuristic house of cork, fitted together like Lego, where the skylights stop it from blowing away
Credit: Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library
John Goodall investigated how a research project by architects Matthew Barnett Howland and Dido Milne led to the creation of Cork House in Eton, Berkshire, an experimental home of great style and interest — and one that also presents a challenge to the architectural world.
The Athenaeum: Ancient history, old rivals and a recent revival for the old Carlton House haunt
Credit: Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library
One of the grandest Regency clubs in London has undergone a revival in recent years. Architecture editor John Goodall looked at the remarkable story of its development on the former site of Carlton House.
How the architecture of the Cotswolds came to define the archetypal English country village
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The architecture of the Cotswolds is almost intrinsically linked to popular conceptions of the English country village. Clive Aslet considered the people and places which contributed to bringing that about.
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Ogston Hall: A romantic, well-maintained family home, diligently researched and preserved
Credit: Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library
The characterful re-working of an ancient family house in the 1850s integrated its varied elements into an impressive and coherent whole. John Martin Robinson told its story.
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Buckingham Palace: ‘There is not a historical capital in Europe which cannot show a more imposing Royal palace’
Credit: Country Life Picture Library
A trip through the archives unearthed a real treasure in the form of a 1931 book about Buckingham Palace which offers a fascinatingly different perspective on one of the world's most famous buildings.
Leweston Manor: The uniquely charming house where Georgian architecture meets Art Deco interiors
Credit: Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library
Leweston Manor is a rare example of an Art Deco interior surviving within a Georgian building — and it's in daily use as a school. Roger White explained more.
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Suit yourself: I’m a 49 year-old man-about-town and I’ve never owned a suitWhen Hugh Smithson-Wright turned up to Country Life's annual Gentleman's Life party sans suit, it sparked a passionate conversation about why the formal fashion just isn't for everyone.
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'The ugliness and craziness is a part of its charm': The Country Life guide to BangkokWhere to stay, where to eat and what to do in the Thai capital.
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Sweet civilisation: What do you get when you ask architects to compete in a gingerbread competition?The Gingerbread City is back in London’s Kings Cross. Lotte Brundle pays it a visit.
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This Grade I Essex home was renovated by a Guinness and a notorious American diarist and photographed by Country Life — now it's a firm favourite with the fashion setKelvedon Hall was saved from demolition by Lady Honor Guinness and Henry 'Chips' Channon. Now it is the star of a Church's Christmas campaign.
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Northwold Manor: 'A place of delight once more after half a century of chaos and neglect'A heroic restoration project has transformed Northwold Manor in Norfolk — home of Professor Warwick Rodwell and Ms Diane Gibbs — after more than 50 years of being left neglected. It has also illuminated its remarkable history, as John Goodall explains; photography by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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53 years ago, a Wren masterpiece was replaced with a glorified roundabout. We must not make the same mistake againThe plans to rid Christ Church Newgate Street of traffic should be cause for celebration — but a mistake as bad as the one made in the 1970s is about to happen, says Ptolemy Dean.
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Ten of the most exquisite French châteaux, photographed for Country Life in 1906 and still standing todayIn the early 20th century, Country Life commissioned Frederick H. Evans to photograph some of France's châteaux. Here are some of his efforts.
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War, ruin and renaissance: Dorfold Hall's 400-year journey through the agesJohn Goodall describes the antiquarian rediscovery of Dorfold Hall, Cheshire — home of Charles and Dr Candice Roundell — and the recent spectacular renewal of this important Jacobean house. Photographs by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Photo Library.
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All fired up: 12 of our favourite chimneys, from grand architectural statements to modest brick stacks, as seen in Country LifeNothing says winter like a roaring fire, and plenty of the houses that we've photographed for the magazine's architectural places have fireplaces and chimneys worth boasting about.
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Dorfold Hall: The 'most neat and beautiful house of brick' that owes its existence to a desperate effort to secure successionDorfold Hall in Cheshire is an outstanding Jacobean house, but was an unexpected product of dynastic disappointment. John Goodall examines the remarkable circumstances of its construction; photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
