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Bramham Park: A Palladian premonitionBramham Park is one of the most original and idiosyncratic houses of early 18th-century Yorkshire. Richard Hewlings examines its history and origins, and offers a fresh analysis of its architecture. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Seven of the UKs best Art Deco cinemas that help remind us of what we have (wrongly) long stopped expecting from public buildingsFrom the birthplace of modern cinema, to the home of the largest Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ in Europe, the UK’s remaining Art Deco cinemas are flourishing. Here are seven of the best.
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The house that refused to die: Castle Howard's spectacular 21st-century renaissance'Molten lead cascaded from the roof into the centre hall, and then the dome crashed to the ground, leaving the interior an inferno of blazing timber and shattered stonework.' 85 years on from the devastating fire at Castle Howard, restoration is still going on. Annunciata Elwes reports.
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Brockfield Hall, the great Yorkshire house that's gone from Regency mansion to modern family homeBrockfield Hall in North Yorkshire is the family home of Charlie Wood and Hatta Byng, editor of House & Garden, who have transformed it since they came here in 2020, winning multiple awards in the process. John Martin Robinson reports on the restoration project that revived this compact Regency house as a modern family home. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Moor Park: How one of Britain's great architectural treasures was saved by golfIn the second of two articles, William Aslet explains how the opulent interiors of Moor Park, Hertfordshire, were completed and the manner in which conversion into a golf club saved the building.
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Moor Park: The suburban golf club with an outrageous Baroque masterpiece as a clubhouseWilliam Aslet looks at Moor Park, Hertfordshire, where the ambitious work of the painter and architect Sir James Thornhill recast a major 17th-century house as a Baroque masterpiece. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Athena: Perhaps the time has come to be more honest about the importance of beautyWhen it comes to buildings of historical and architectural note, we don't love them simply because they are old, but because they are beautiful and engage our attention.
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Saints alive: How St Albans Cathedral has entered the 21st century in vibrant style, thanks to sculptors, artisans and dazzling colour projectionsThe Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans is one of the oldest churches in Britain — and quite possibly the very oldest — but no building survives through hundreds of generations without change. John Goodall examines some of the recent changes made to highlight the saints associated with this ancient church. Photographs by Paul Highnam and John Goodall for Country Life.
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Guinness rustling in the Midlands, how to look after a listed building and why oat milk might make you depressedPlus a property perfect for a sweet summer's evening near Salcombe, the bewitching joy of darkness and a quiz.
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The tale of St Alban: An abbey, a Cathedral, and a martyr so holy that 'his executioner’s eyes popped out of his head'A church built for Britain’s first known Christian martyr developed into The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans, Hertfordshire. John Goodall tells the tale of the saint and the building he inspired; photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Country Life's top 10 architecture stories of 2024, from the palace that's 'the stuff of dreams' to a Palladian masterpiece you can rent by the weekendWe take a look back at our most popular architecture articles of the last 12 months.
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Thomas Hardy and the country house: 'Irregularity is the genius of Gothic architecture'With the help of specially commissioned drawings by Matthew Rice, Jeremy Musson considers the abiding presence of the stone-built manor house in the stories of Thomas Hardy.
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Stationers’ Hall, one of London's best-kept secrets: 'The observant pedestrian might briefly glimpse it through an archway. Most pass by oblivious'The home of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers Established in 1403, the Stationers’ Company was long responsible for regulating the printing industry. Lucy Denton looks at the history of this remarkable institution and its headquarters: Stationers’ Hall, London EC4.
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James I's love affair with Apethorpe, the great country house that 'surpasses all belief'Apethorpe Palace in Northamptonshire — a seat of Baron and Baroness von Pfetten — was enlarged in the 1560s and 1620s specifically to receive first Elizabeth I, and then James I. John Goodall tells the story.
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Wooden walls restored: The astonishing restoration of the church at UrșiThe painted church of the Annunciation and the Archangel Michael, Urși, Vâlcea County, Romania, has been the object of an heroic 10-year restoration programme,
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When it comes to heritage development, the conservation officer is king. We need more of themA lack of funding and expertise is having a detrimental effect on our listed heritage. To survive, these buildings need to adapt, and to adapt, these buildings need more people who understand what makes them special.
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Apethorpe Palace, 'the stuff of dreams', and the spectacular renewal of one of England's great Jacobean housesApethorpe Palace, Northamptonshire — a seat of Baron and Baroness von Pfetten — is as grand as a country house can get, especially since its recent restoration work. Jeremy Musson celebrates the spectacular renewal of one of England’s great Jacobean houses.
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'Wrecking balls swung from the ceiling, pillars were shown toppling, cornices crumbled... it was sensational': The groundbreaking museum exhibition that helped save the country houseAfter years of neglect and countless demolitions, 1974 witnessed a revolution in attitudes towards country houses. It proved a turning point in Britain’s treatment of its old buildings generally and the saviour of places such as Covent Garden, as Simon Jenkins explains.
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‘They knew they were all going through the same hell’: The graffiti of the First World WarMemorials to those lost in the First World War can cloud the fact that each name represents a man’s life. The inscriptions they left behind, however, recall them as individuals, says David Crossland.
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Ashby St Legers: The spectacular house where the Gunpowder Plot was hatchedA house associated with the Gunpowder Plot was splendidly enlarged by Lutyens and is now enjoying a new lease of life as a modern family home, as John Goodall explains. With photography by Paul Highnam.
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London's Lost Interiors: Inside the houses of the capital's plutocrats in the days when money was literally no objectA new book, 'London: Lost Interiors', explores the lost riches of London’s grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages, using wonderful images preserved in the Historic England Archive.
