Architecture

The most haunted houses that you can visit in England and Wales

Ghosts and country houses go together like strawberries and cream. We name some of the country's best known haunted houses that you can actually visit.

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.

Hinton Ampner: The great Hampshire house shaped by fire, fashion and Country Life

A few miles down the road from Winchester lies the beautiful house and gardens at Hinton Ampner, a house whose history has been shaped by fire, fashion and Country Life.

The stone conservationist: 'You can’t beat good old-fashioned hand tools that differ little today from those used centuries ago'

Lowther Castle: The incredible transformation of the ruins of one of Britain's greatest Regency castle

An ambitious restoration campaign has transformed the ruins of one of Britain’s greatest Regency castles and brought it back to life and use. John Martin Robinson tells its remarkable story, with photographs by Paul Highnam.

Ten stately homes which became hospitals during the First World War

To mark 100 years since the end of the First World War, The Royal British Legion draws our attention back to those grand family homes which opened their doors to wounded soldiers from all over the world, as well as their own boys at the front.

How an Arts-and-Crafts architect fought to preserve the beauty of Chipping Campden

Clive Aslet tells the remarkable story of Frederick Landseer Griggs, his struggle, his triumphs and his legacy. Photographs by Justin Paget.

Inside Haworth: The humble parsonage where the Brontë sisters changed literature

Some of our most enduring stories were conceived at Haworth – Jeremy Musson enjoys a literary pilgrimage.

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.

Palaces on the sea: The story of the father of promenade piers

Eugenius Birch, father of the promenade pier, was born 200 years ago. Kathryn Ferry considers the life and remarkable legacy of this outstanding figure.

When small is beautiful: 10 types of cottage you'll find in Britain

Dream cottages come in many forms, from the half-timbered to the stone-built. Mary Miers casts her eye across the country and looks at the full panoply of rustic beauty they have to offer.

Mawarden Court, Wiltshire: Humble, but fit for a lord

The Pitt family controlled one of the kingdom’s most notorious Parliamentary boroughs from this now compact house, reveals Clive Aslet.

Château de Chambord: A jewel and its setting

An ambitious garden re-creation complements the architecture of perhaps the most celebrated château on the Loire and has linked it with its wider parkland. Tim Richardson reports.

Life after Downton Abbey: How Highclere Castle is moving on

Highclere Castle was made famous across the world as Downton Abbey – and the money that it generated saved this beautiful country home for future generations. But they're still moving onwards in a post-Downton world, as Octavia Pollock explains.

Palazzo Grimani, Venice: The entire 17th-century palace restored by a British architect

The restoration of a Venetian palazzo by the architect John Simpson has unexpectedly revealed a splendid 18th-century decoration scheme, Clive Aslet reveals. Photographer Colin Dutton.

Six ways to fix Parliament Square – and make it the centrepiece London deserves

Norfolk House: The lost London palace that was razed to the ground, recreated 80 years on

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the sale and demolition of Norfolk House. John Martin Robinson re-creates the splendours of this outstanding Georgian town house with the help of historical photography and a reconstruction drawing specially commissioned by Country Life.

Jason Goodwin: The hotel rooms where Agatha Christie wrote her most famous book, and where Turkey became a modern nation

The extraordinary revival of Sydenham House, Devon: ‘Like the old house, but better’

This outstanding house has recently emerged from a major restoration following a disastrous fire in 2012. Despite the damage it sustained, it has lost none of its charm or interest – as Clive Aslet reports.

The lock-gate maker: ‘Maintaining them can be a bit like painting the Forth Bridge’

Tessa Waugh meets Steve Brunt, a workshop supervisor for the Canal and River Trust, which is dedicated to protecting and maintaining more than 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales.