Apethorpe Palace, ‘the stuff of dreams’
Jeremy Musson took a look at the spectacular renewal of one of England’s great Jacobean houses — there was also an accompanying piece in which John Goodall looked more closely at the links between the house and James I of England. https://www.countrylife.co.uk/architecture/james-is-love-affair-with-apethorpe-the-great-country-house-that-surpasses-all-belief-276453
Knowsley Hall: How Liverpool’s grandest country house — and one of the largest homes in England — was brought back to life
'One of the most ambitious restorations of an English country house' began a quarter of a century ago, and we took a look back at how it's been going.
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 took a look at the reasons why.
Inside Windsor Castle
Our piece on perhaps the greatest castle of them all, printed by kind permission of the Sovereign, was actually published in 2023, but has remained enormously popular.
‘Wrecking balls swung from the ceiling, pillars were shown toppling, cornices crumbled… it was sensational’
Simon Jenkins reminisced about the 1974 exhibition at the V&A which helped save the country house.
The best country house architects in Britain
Our definitive list of the best in the business, updated and expanded for 2024.
St James’s Palace: An exclusive look inside
Published originally right at the end of 2023, this was a fascinating look at the British monarchy’s oldest, quirkiest and most mysterious palace.
‘One of the great landmarks of the Sussex coast’, finally finished some 156 years after work was started
John Goodall looeds at the recent completion of the chapel of Lancing College.
900 years old, one careful owner
How Madresfield Court has come down the centuries in the hands of one family.
The Palladian masterpiece you can rent by the weekend
Wolterton Hall's unmatched Georgian splendour.
Photography: Getty / Alamy / Paul Highnam / Will Pryce / Country Life
Wembley isn't just a stadium — it was a vision abd a pioneering adventure in the history of architecture
The 1924 Wembley Empire Exhibition was conceived on a vast scale, with a bewildering variety of displays that united such
The architecture of Henry James: How real-life country houses found their way into the work of one of our greatest writers
The stories of Henry James are full of descriptions of country houses. Jeremy Musson explores the messages these houses convey,
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The life that thrives among the dead: How wildlife finds a home in the graveyards and churchyards of BritainHome to a veritable ‘Noah’s Ark of species’, thanks to never being ploughed, sprayed or fertilised, our churchyards offer a sacred haven for flora and fauna, says Laura Parker.
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‘What a shame when a dinosaur disappears into the mansion of an oligarch rather than being displayed for all to enjoy’: The ethics of the dinosaur auctionFancy a stegosaurus in your living room? You can buy one at auction. But the latest luxury good is a paleontologist's worst nightmare.
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50 years ago, the English country house seemed headed for extinction. Instead it was the start of a new golden ageRather than perceiving the mid 20th century as a troubled period in the history of the country house, John Martin Robinson argues that it was perhaps one of the most interesting, unexpected and enterprising. All photography from the Country Life Image Archive, by June Buck, Paul Barker, Val Corbett, Will Pryce and Paul Highnam.
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‘It has been destroyed beyond repair, not by the effect of gunfire, but by a deliberate act of vandalism’: Britain’s long lost great houses that live on only inside the Country Life archiveIn the wake of the First and Second World Wars, some of Britain’s greatest houses were lost forever — to extinct familial lines, financial woes, neglect, vandalism and tragic accidents. Thankfully, plenty are preserved — in photographic form at least — for eternity, inside the Country Life archive.
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'This is how the countryside looked to Gilbert White, to Thomas Hardy, even to Shakespeare and Chaucer': The forgotten corner of the world where King Charles has poured his energy into preserving an all-but-extinct way of lifeThe historic buildings of a Transylvanian settlement have been restored and preserved with the help of several foundations and backed by The King’s personal enthusiasm. Jeremy Musson reports on this remarkable place; photographs by Paul Highnam.
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From the Country Life archive: Yes, that is a Moon Transmitter on London's South BankEvery Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
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'I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed': Inside Jane Austen's Winchester home, the house where she penned her final words and drew her final breathJane Austen spent the last days of her life in rented lodgings in Winchester, Hampshire. Adam Rattray describes the remarkable recent discoveries made about the house in which she died.
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Winchester: The ancient city of kings and saints that's one of 21st century Britain's happiest places to liveKings, cobbles, secrets, superstition and literary fire power–Winchester has had it all in spades for centuries and is as desirable now as it ever was, says Jason Goodwin.
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The Old House, Dorset: There's beauty up aboveA series of new plasterwork ceilings, collaboratively designed with the creating artist, has transformed the interiors of The Old House, Dorset, the home of Charles and Jane Montanaro. Jeremy Musson explains more; photographs by Paul Highnam.
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From the Country Life archive: The Maori meeting house in leafy SurreyEvery Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
