Robert Parker stands in the hall by a cabinet that contains 29 wooden dolls, each about 6in high and dressed in the habit of a different religious order or group within the Roman Catholic clergy.

Nuns are grouped to the right and male figures — with two female interlopers — to the left. The figure enthroned beneath a canopy in the centre is presumably intended to represent the Pope, but, confusingly, seems to have acquired the hat belonging to the cardinal dressed in crimson. The set was probably made in the 18th century.

Browsholme, which stands in the Forest of Bowland, has been in the Parker family since the 14th century. Thomas Lister Parker, who became the heir when a minor in 1794, was particularly important in developing its exceptionally rich and diverse collections of art and curios.

An enthusiastic and well-travelled antiquarian, he published Description of Browsholme Hall (1815), which illustrated the building and the principal objects of historical interest on display within it.

‘It is hard to know where, when or why this object was collected,’ notes Parker. ‘A 1777 catalogue of the contents of Cowdray House, West Sussex, noted a glass case in the Breakfast Room “with Figures and Dresses of the different orders in the Church of Rome”. Most of Cowdray’s contents were destroyed in a terrible fire in 1793, but it’s possible that this item survived and made its way to Browsholme.’

For more information and how to visit, click here.

This feature originally appeared in the August 5, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

ES Devlin creates temporary societies. A multi-talented artist, she develops environments for theatre, opera, rock concerts and dance, as well as immersive installations, performances and artworks, where the audience, through the combined magic of sound, light, movement and text, briefly becomes a community, sharing attention rather than passively viewing.

She is an ‘Everythingist’, someone who encompasses the vastness of human knowledge, combining diverse skills, passions and possibilities. The term was originally coined for Natalia Goncharova — another multi-talented woman, who painted, wrote, made illustrations and designed sets and costumes for the Ballets Russes — and is also the name of the installation that Devlin devised in response to Goncharova’s Firebird backcloth at V&A East.

Devlin cannot be pigeonholed as merely a set designer, although her creations cover a roll call of events — from operas such as Philip Glass’s Orphée at the Royal Opera House (2005), to plays such as The Lehman Trilogy (2018) and dance Connectome for the Royal Ballet (2014). She’s also worked on immersive structural environments for Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne arena tour (2011), fashion installations for the 100th anniversary of Chanel No. 5 (2021) and the transformation of public and commercial spaces, including the closing and opening ceremonies of the Olympics in London (2012) and Rio (2016), respectively.

The wide-ranging nature of her practice — which is also evident in the variety of accolades she has received, from a Tony and multiple Oliviers to The Critics’ Circle Award for Contribution to the Arts (as well as an OBE and CBE) — is partly rooted in what she calls her ‘feral’ childhood.

She was born in 1971, the second of four children, to educationalist parents. ‘We weren’t allowed to watch much television; our constant refrain was: “We’re bored.” Mum used to say: “Only boring people are bored, here’s a Rice Krispie packet and a pair of scissors, go and make something.”

'We were endlessly cutting up yoghurt pots and cardboard boxes. We would make games and toy theatres, performing plays in them. We had a small space under the stairs, which was dark, where we could control the light, where we would experiment with our little projector.’ It was the precursor to her sophisticated use of light today.

A gifted musician, she played three instruments: each Saturday, from the age of 11, she took the train — unaccompanied — from Rye in East Sussex to the Royal Academy of Music, tacking on visits to galleries and jumble sales.

Intending to do printmaking and photography at Central St Martins, she was introduced to set design at the Motley Theatre Group. ‘I knew nothing about set design, but there was a dark red room full of people making model theatres, listening to opera, reading books, covered with reference images on the wall, in dialogue with each other.’

Enticingly, there was 24-hour access to the studio. ‘I knew that I had so much work to do that I thought: “Well, even if this theatre thing is of no use, I’ll have this studio and I’ll just stay up all night making the stuff I want to make.”’ It was, in fact, of ‘use’. In 1995, she won the Linbury Prize and designed Marlowe’s Edward II for the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, Greater Manchester, and, in 1998, was invited to design the first ballet to be performed by the Rambert dance company at the newly refurbished Sadler’s Wells, followed closely by Pinter’s Betrayal for Trevor Nunn at the National Theatre.

Her career continued with increasingly spectacular projects worldwide. For any of her projects, Devlin watches rehearsals intensively and, during the ones for Wagner’s six-hour long Parsifal (2012), having to read the translations in subtitles, she became aware that she was doing more concentrated, uninterrupted reading in those 10 days than she had done for some time. ‘That was a source of interest to me, and also slight grief; it reminded me that I used to be much more absorbed in reading than I am now — I wondered whether a lot of people felt like me.’

Her response was to develop a collective reading event with Hannah Barry for Bold Tendencies (2018), in which Benedict Cumberbatch with 2,000 participants read The Order of Time by theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli.

Her most recent projects are also related to books and libraries, perhaps harking back to the days when she read English at Bristol and fell in love with the etymology of words. Both from last year are The Library of Light at the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, Italy — a 59ft-diameter revolving cylinder of 3,200 books — and The Library of Us, a triangular 20ft-tall, illuminated rotation of 2,500 books with a circular reflective pool in Miami, Florida, US.

Following on from those two, Devlin has just made her first indoor library, The Library of the Four Winds, a sculpture of hundreds of books inside Sir John Vanbrugh’s temple of the same name at Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the architect’s death.

‘He has many parallels for me. The fascination he had with literature, with architecture, with geometry, with systems — he cared about systems, systems in power, systems in architecture, so there’s so much for me to respond to. I’ve made a revolving (illuminated) library.

'Everything I do is personal to me, as well as responding to situation and report, and it’s a library of all the books that made me who I am.’ She reads out selected passages and the books encircling the Temple, as well as those in the library, are her own, complete with her copious underlinings: ‘2026 is the National Year of Reading so we really hope this is going to encourage people to come to sit, to meet each other through text, and we’ll be doing some drawing classes, too.’

With such an all-encompassing career, her brain never seems inactive. ‘I draw to translate something that’s inside me to the outside. Drawing is me thinking and that’s how I figure stuff out. There are neurons in the end of my fingers, and [with] the friction, the meeting of the pencil to the paper with my hand and my eye, thoughts will happen in that process, which if I just lie in bed thinking about it, imagining, won’t be the same.

'You have to make the mark. The idea will take a different form if I pick up a pen or a piece of charcoal or a pencil.’ Her drawings are often in response to an invitation. However, projects commence with a feeling, based on a hinterland of past sensa-tions, experiences and responses.

‘How do I feel? What’s the experience? The process starts by going to a place. Having recorded experience, bodily apprehension of situation, the next is association: “What do I want to bring to bear here, of my batch of poems, of all the things that I’ve picked up along the way…”

'They’re visual and tactile, but they’re also mental, bringing in, always, a lot of reading and philosophical discussion. I use a lot of my instinct (that) is often to quite simple forms.’

Yet, her projects are always collaborative. She is not a fan of the ‘artist as genius’ approach. She collaborates with many different people, directors, gallerists, technical experts and skilled artisans — not least as the artistic director of Homo Faber 2026’s ‘Island Of Light’ in Venice, Italy, a festival of craftsmanship comprising 15 installations and 500 makers — as well as audiences.

This collaboration is not episodic, it’s a continuous chain of influences and shared thinking. ‘We always say that each project we come to, we come through the lens of the thing we just did and the people we just worked with, so we’re always… one step removed from a conversation we just had with someone else. With the artworks, I’m often building on a line of enquiry.’

She has an ongoing project ‘A National Portrait for the National Portrait Gallery’, a digital artwork developed in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture Lab, where everyone is invited to ‘co-author an evolving portrait of the nation’.

An individual’s photograph is transformed into an animated digital portrait based aesthetically on Ms Devlin’s previously executed charcoal and chalk drawings. The moving digital sketch marks resemble a portrait constantly redrawing itself, repeatedly resolving one likeness, followed by another and another, in an expanding sequence of the faces of all who participate.

She employs new technologies with skill, conscious of their transitory nature. ‘You have to flow with the moment where technology still feels like magic, because magic allows us to, for a moment, see through the lens of our actual senses rather than through our preconceived expectancy of what we’re going to see. When you destabilise someone’s perceptions about how coins and cards behave in a magic trick, then you destabilise their perceptions about how blue the sky is and they might look with their eyes, instead of simply assuming they know.’ Devlin never fails to supply the magic that changes those perspectives.

Es Devlin’s 'The Library of the Four Winds' is at Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, until September 27. ‘The Everythingist’ is at the V&A East, London, until October 18. ‘Es Devlin: Other Worlds’ will be at the Design Museum, London, from October 2–April 4, 2027

This feature originally appeared in the July 29, 2026, print edition of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

So many of us dream of writing to our idol, but few pluck up the courage to actually do so. If we can muster it, even fewer receive a response. I remember, aged 10, the excitement I felt when my favourite author, Helen Dunmore, wrote back to me. Imagine, then, how Eileen Elgar must have felt when she received a reply from J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973).

Elgar started corresponding with the author in her fifties on the advice of her daughter, who suggested she write to him with some of her questions about his books. Relationship established, Elgar went on to make suggestions on how Tolkien's works could be improved and this eventually led to the writer visiting Elgar at home, and the pair striking up a surprising friendship.

Now, six books, signed by the author, and five correspondents written by him to Elgar, are going up for auction with Sotheby’s.

Tolkien described Elgar, who lived in Bournemouth, as an ‘admirer’ of his in a letter to his grandson in 1963. He added that she was ‘highly intelligent & well read’ and ‘stone deaf’, which necessitated communication ‘by writing pad’.

An autographed note, tucked into a copy of Fellowship of the Ring, is clearly Tolkien's attempt to explain his thought process behind the mythic creations of the race of Dwarves, and includes ‘significant detail regarding Middle Earth Creation lore’. The book and note is part of a single lot of three volumes of The Lord of the Rings from 1961.

In a different title, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, a loosely inserted letter references Tolkien's sadness at hearing of the death of C.S. Lewis.

William Passey, of Sotheby’s Books and Manuscripts Department says the most surprising thing about these correspondences is ‘how intimate they are, and how much time [Tolkien] was willing to devote to answering Eileen's questions in depth.’

He adds: ‘I suppose the lot that really stands out for me is the set of Lord of the Rings with the note about the creation of the race of the dwarves in it. What’s remarkable about that is the nerdy detail that Tolkien gets into, and obviously the fact that it is not a letter, but something that was written during the course of conversation.’

Elgar, who lived near the Hotel Miramar, where Tolkien and his wife would holiday each year, died in 1980. The letters date from 1961-4 and the works are spread across five lots (lots 83-87). In total, they are estimated to sell for around £39,000-55,000.

Tolkien, born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, was best-known for his fantasy novels. He published The Hobbit in 1937 and the first part of The Lord of the Rings in 1954. He died in 1973 at the age of 81 in Bournemouth.

The demand for his work is still extremely high. In 2023, a second-edition set of Lord of the Rings books that were inscribed by Tolkien in Elvish sold for £95,250 with Sotheby's. The following year, a set of 21 Tolkien letters were sold by the auctioneers for £228,000. The Tolkien Society, founded in 1969, has around 4,000 members in more than 60 different countries and this year, The Lord of the Rings topped The Guardian readers’ top 100 novels of all time list.

Passey of Sotheby’s says: ‘It is worth noting that Tolkien has done exceptionally well at auction in recent years.’ He credits ‘millennial collectors, who are from outside the traditional book collecting world, and have maybe grown up watching the films,’ with this recent boom.

Tolkien expert Pieter Collier told The Observer, of Elgar: ‘I believe she was one of the very few people he could think of as a peer.’ He added that Elgar should ‘get much more credit and respect for her communications with [Tolkien]. He actually listened to what she said.’

‘One cannot help wondering what kind of scholar she might have become had deafness not isolated her from academic life.’

Elgar’s granddaughter, Helen Dutfield, told the BBC that Elgar had ‘a very rich imagination’ and was ‘fascinated by the ancient civilisations’. Of Tolkien, she added: ‘His wife was quite jealous and she was curious about who this woman was that he was going to talk to.

‘We laugh about that because my grandmother was old before her time, she was terribly intense — not the sort of person you could imagine he would have fancied.’

For more information about the sale, visit Sotheby’s website

The War of Independence that unfolded between 1775 and 1783 may have been American, but it rippled across the Atlantic Ocean onto European shores. With France weighing in on the side of the nascent US — and seizing the opportunity to try and reconquer territories that it had previously lost to Britain in India — a few naval battles took place off the Brittany coast.

In April 1782, in particular, two Royal Navy ships engaged with French vessels off Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the Channel, and HMS Foudroyant, under the command of captain John Jervis, captured the 74-gun Pégase. Shortly afterwards, the victorious British man o’ war escorted her prize into Portsmouth harbour, where hundreds of people awaited their arrival.

Among the crowd was probably Dominic Serres, one of the greatest marine painters of the late 18th century, whose son Dominique Michael served aboard Foudroyant. The artist captured the scene in a painting somewhat reminiscent of Canaletto’s style.

Foudroyant, herself originally a French ship, sails ahead in all her glory, Pégase jury-rigged behind her — beaten, the flag flying under the Royal Navy jack at the stem as white as her winged figurehead — against the backdrop of Portsmouth harbour seen from Gosport.

Serres made not one, but two versions of the painting. The first is at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Jervis, who was made a Knight of Bath for the victory and would later become 1st Earl of St Vincent after defeating a Spanish fleet off the cape of the same name in 1797, probably commissioned from the painter a larger version. This was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793, but later passed down the generations and forgotten by the public.

‘It never left the family until last year and, in fact, had been hidden in a loft,’ says art dealer James Mitchell. It re-emerged in April 2025, when it was sold at Bonhams, and, now restored, is on offer with John Mitchell Fine Paintings.

This feature originally appeared in the July 1, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Dream Design is a luxury kitchen, bathroom and interior design centre in Dorset, creating one-of-a-kind private residences across Dorset, Hampshire, Poole, the UK and internationally.

Founded in 1984, Dream Design has developed from a specialist design business into a complete residential design destination, combining a 5,000 sq ft Design Centre with an award-winning interior architecture and interior design studio.

The business specialises in bespoke kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, living spaces and complete home design, supporting private clients, architects and developers with a highly considered approach to residential design, specification and project delivery.

The Design Centre in Dorset brings together leading brands and specialist ateliers across kitchens, bathrooms, appliances, surfaces, lighting, furniture and interior architectural systems. Arranged across two floors, it allows clients to experience full-scale room settings, materials, finishes and design details in person, giving each project a clear and practical foundation from the beginning.

Design Studio

Dream Design’s interior architecture and design studio supports more complex residential projects, including new-build homes, refurbishments and complete interiors. The studio works closely with clients, architects and wider project teams to ensure spatial planning, material continuity, lighting, furniture and detailed specification are considered together.

At the heart of every project is a director-led, highly personal design process, with a fundamental belief that every successful home is shaped by hundreds of decisions made well. The studio’s approach is built around proportion, flow, material quality, technical detail and understanding how each client wants to live.

What Makes Dream Design Different

Dream Design combines the experience of a long-established design business with the practical benefit of a physical Design Centre. Clients can explore kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, lighting, surfaces, appliances and interior details under one roof, while also receiving the guidance of a specialist design team.

The business works with leading international brands and specialist ateliers, allowing each project to be tailored through a wide range of materials, finishes and technical solutions.

This combination of design judgement, product knowledge and specification experience gives clients a clear route from early ideas through to detailed project delivery.

Clients and Locations

Based in Christchurch, Dorset, Dream Design works with private clients, architects and property developers on private residences across the UK and internationally.

Many client relationships continue across successive homes and generations, reflecting the trust built through careful listening, practical experience and a clear understanding of how each client wants to live.

Projects range from substantial coastal homes in Sandbanks and London townhouses to heritage properties in the Home Counties, with further projects completed in Spain, Antigua and Switzerland.

Find out more at dreamdesign.co.uk.

Christiana Kehrer Interiors is an Interior Designer based in London working on projects based in the UK and abroad.

Christiana has developed a refined and distinctive aesthetic that balances timeless elegance with a contemporary sensibility.

Her work encompasses sourcing exceptional antiques, designing bespoke furniture, and working with the finest textiles to craft authentic interiors that seamlessly blend heritage with modern living.

Inspired by traditional craftsmanship and a sense of nostalgia, Christiana works closely with each client to shape interiors that reflect their personal style.

The result is sophisticated, characterful homes designed to evolve beautifully and endure for generations.

Visit christianakehrer.com to find out more.

Jefferson, a small city in rural east Texas, US, is an unexpected place for an artistic discovery. Yet, it was there that an oil sketch by John Constable hid for decades in plain view. In 1970, the Jefferson Historical Society and Museum received from New York’s Newhouse Galleries what was then thought to be ‘the large sketch for a painting now in the National Gallery in London’, The Cornfield. Later, however, it was downgraded to one of the many copies of the Constable landscape — until 2017, when the museum requested an appraisal of its collection and auction-house specialists began suspecting there may be more to it.

Scientific tests have since revealed that materials and techniques showed ‘complete consistency’ with Constable’s work and the picture is now thought to have been the full-scale sketch of The Cornfield, about 1820–26, something the painter had done for all his six-footers, but which had been thought not to exist for this particular 4ft 8in by 4ft view of a Suffolk summer.

‘Previous commentators have talked at length about how Constable leapt from the small, preliminary works for The Cornfield directly to the finished painting,’ wrote in the catalogue painting conservator Sarah Cove, founder of the Constable Research Project and one of the two experts who appraised the painting, together with former Tate curator Anne Lyles. ‘Since the rediscovery of the full-size sketch, we now know that is incorrect.’

The picture will be the centrepiece of Heritage Auctions's Important European Art sale on June 5

This feature first appeared in the May 13, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Despite all the excitement over the famous faces, it is the plants that are the real stars of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which opens next week (May 19–23). If our gardens are anything to go by, then this year promises to deliver an awe-inspiring display of perfect flowers and brilliant foliage. Whether you are a seasoned visitor or will be heading to the Royal Hospital grounds for the first time, here are Country Life’s tips to ensure you get the best out of the show—and don’t forget to visit our stand (PW215).

1. Don’t go with the flow. In all the hustle and bustle of actually getting to the showground (and, once inside, encountering the often overwhelming rush of humanity), it’s easy to forget what you came to see. Some will have a check list of gardens and nurseries drawn up and tick them off one by one. Others take a cartographic approach, first heading up Main Avenue to look at the big show gardens, from there looping round the back to the smaller gardens and finally working their way through the Great Pavilion. Both systems work, but it pays always to head to where the crowds are thinnest and, if you can, be there for the last couple of hours in the day when things quieten down.
2. Pre-arrange a meeting spot. Even with mobile phones, it’s surprisingly easy not to hear the ring or to miss an urgent message. The picnic tables by the coffee stalls in Ranelagh Gardens are usually a good bet and offer some shade, too.
3. Allow plenty of time for the Great Pavilion. This is the heart of the show, where you’ll find new and rare plants immaculately grown and displayed. There’s always so much to see and never enough time.
4. Take notes. Have a notebook and pen or mobile phone to hand for jotting down favourite things in the Great Pavilion. The individual plant displays are particularly useful in comparing like for like: tulips and daffodils, roses, sweet peas, delphiniums and peonies, to mention but a few. This way, you’ll be ready to put in orders with specialist suppliers for that never-before-seen specimen before it sells out.
5. Examine plant groupings. If there is one thing you should keep in mind as you look at the show gardens, it is how their creators combine plants. In the quiet understorey of a bold design are the clever pairings of colour and shape and contrasting or complementary silhouettes and forms. This is what mere mortals most struggle to get right, but if you look carefully and photograph those plant groups you like, you can reproduce them at home — always bearing in mind your own garden’s soil and situation.
6. Check the forecast and wear comfortable shoes. Boring, but important.
7. Last, but not least: don’t worry if you don’t see everything — it is almost impossible to do so. Simply make a glorious day of it and come home with a head brimful of beautiful flowers and ideas for your own garden.

This feature first appeared in the May 13, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

The Country Life 'Garden Lover’s Library', designed by George Saumarez-Smith of ADAM Architecture, is at stand PW215 at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from May 18–23. To celebrate, you can purchase a year-long subscription for £150 and save more than 40% on the cover price. International offers are available, too. If you’re attending the Show, you can subscribe in person and receive a complimentary bottle of The Grange sparkling wine. Limited to the first 200 UK-based subscribers. Until May 31, 2026 (https://countrylifesubs.co.uk/Flowers).

Bloomsbury is lovely this time of year, isn’t it? The sun seeps through the trees that line the avenues around the British Museum, bright young things flock to Lamb’s Conduit Street for wine and tailoring and locals and tourists mingle, for the most part in peace, as the days draw longer and longer. It will be summer soon.

The neighbourhood also has the rare distinction of catering to both the traveller and the resident. The local hotels, historically geared to the former, are beginning to play a similar double act. There has long been an unspoken divide between the southern end of Bloomsbury — bordering Holborn — and its northern end, bordering King’s Cross: younger, trendier and somewhere people actually live. The Zetter Townhouse, a new property that sits in Bloomsbury's southern hemisphere, may finally be changing that.

As is the mark of any fine boutique hotel, you could easily walk past the Zetter without realising it is there. I know this because I did so, twice, while searching for signage after an event with the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. I was due to have dinner there with James Thurstan Waterworth, the superstar designer whose past clients include Soho House and the Duchy of Somerset, and who led the Zetter’s four-year renovation project. He is also the man behind Thurstan, a design studio in Clerkenwell (the title is a nod to his middle name).

I find James in the dining room dotted around by lamps, busts and vases (from Africa, Oceania, et al) as well as more quixotic pieces like a miniature ukulele. There is a painting that sits somewhere between a green and a blue, on whose chromatic identity no one can quite agree. The designer holds court over dinner surrounded by an enamoured press (besides being talented, James is compellingly good-looking). And so to the new Zetter, of which much the same can be said, and where a thousand antiques are strewn across all bedrooms and common areas. The building, I am told, was designed to evoke the home of a well-travelled friend. Everywhere are reminders of trips to far-flung corners of the Earth: trinkets and artefacts are carefully arranged so as to feel in dialogue with each other, rather than obliquely juxtaposed.

Every piece has been acquired in much the same way as one might buy a holiday souvenir, James explains, serving as a memento more than an actual symbol of anything. It is a decor that merely hints at erudition without ever falling for the didactic; where stylistic choices are guided not by meaning, but — in a manner reminiscent of Bloomsbury’s status as a fin-de-siècle icon — by beauty. With this new property, the Zetter Group continues to cement its hold over central London: the Bloomsbury townhouse is their third opening in the last 20-odd years, joining properties in Clerkenwell and Marylebone.

The building is made up not of one but six Georgian properties, vestiges of a golden age that have been knocked together to create a quiet grande dame. There are 68 rooms in total, although the hotel feels nowhere near as big — a good thing. The lighting, sly and seductive, contributes to an overall feeling of cosiness. The location, at the back of the British Museum, elucidates some of the more out-there design choices. What has been derided, in recent years, as a largely looted national collection — many of the museum’s notable items, such as the Elgin Marbles, are cobbled from Ancient sites — works rather well here, the moodiness of the setting conferring upon the artwork a more intimate, perhaps devotional feel.

The Zetter’s strength, as a hospitality brand, is evidenced in the time it takes to build its portfolio. It waits for the right set of properties to come up for restoration and ensures that all artistic choices are considered and unhurried. Bringing in Soho House’s former European design director for this particular project has paid off. Speaking to Country Life in 2025, James cited Axel Vervoordt and Robert Kime as his aesthetic heroes: men whose seamless blending of the old and new have left an indelible imprint on the young designer and whose relationship to antique collecting showed no temporal or geographical boundaries. (Still the case for Axel.)

In the same interview, James expressed a love for the artist Roger Hilton. ‘It’s very basic,’ the designer said — an accusation sometimes leveled against Soho House by its detractors — yet his decisions suggest, at every turn, that he is marching to the beat of his own drum. The artefacts at Zetter, while varied, are singular — the pick-and-mix of a trained eye who refuses to subscribe to common denominators. Everything about the Zetter, moreover, feels uninvasive, as though this really is one's pied-à-terre while there. Guests move about the place freely, with glass doors leading seamlessly from the orangery into the garden. The wait staff is discrete, and the bar staff efficient.

Dinner runs like clockwork. Our pudding, a chocolate and salted caramel torte served with hazelnut, amoretti and vanilla ice cream, is an ideal palette cleanser after our exceptional medley of chicken, artichoke and morel. It is time to retreat upstairs. The strength of a hotel, naturally, must be judged first and foremost on its rooms. Are these enough of a blank canvas that one can leave their mark simply by hanging their clothes in the wardrobe or leaving their toiletries in the bathroom? Yet not so impersonal as to feel alienating when one’s usual creature comforts are nowhere to be found?

It’s a fine balance — one the Zetter strikes with ease. Each room is entirely unique: some boast mustard-coloured walls, others four-poster beds, and in the odd case, a freestanding bath. Sash windows are painted cream and gaze out onto the street or onto the courtyard, depending on which side of the corridor one enters the room from. If booking, ask for one with a courtyard view. They gaze out onto the British Museum and on the west-facing light at sunset.

A mounted fabric of blue indigo, produced by the Mossi Tribe of Burkina Faso, hangs above my desk (the Zetter knows its clientele can be the busy kind), lending a touch of drama to an otherwise warm bedroom. Mattresses, meanwhile, are from Royal Warrant-holder Hypnos, so comfortable one falls asleep in under ten minutes. The bathroom is modern and practical: a shower head disappears into the ceiling just as overhead lighting would ordinarily, although you’ll find none of the latter here. The handle of the smaller shower spray is appended somewhat annoyingly close to the body; a slender man myself, I kept bashing into it.

There is an obvious reputational risk for any hotel set within walking distance of King’s Cross: how to avoid being seen as somewhere visitors merely pass through, even if they do pay their dues? The Zetter has risen to the challenge in much the same way as The Goring, one of London’s grande dame hotels a stone’s throw from Victoria Station. That is, as Voltaire decreed, by cultivating one’s jardin. The Zetter's garden holds both a terrace and an enviably mowed lawn (crucial, as the summer months creep in), which themselves serve as extensions of the orangery: a paean to the early 20th-century explorer-collector and, no doubt, the room in which James’s vision comes alive the most.

Hand-stitched cushions, red whicker armchairs and a rich assembly of plants envelop the dining tables, as the sun beats down from an ample roof light. The blinds recall those you might find on safari and the whole thing smells faintly of cedar. ‘I collect 20th century British abstract art — 1950s-70s — very much the British-St Ives ilk,’ James once told Country Life. The Zetter fizzes with the same kind of mid-century energy that London's new hotels tend to lack. I'll certainly be coming back.

Rooms at The Zetter Bloomsbury start from £400 a night, without breakfast. Visit the hotel's website for more information and to book.

Parliament Live TV is not a channel that Athena generally watches with much hope of enlightenment. Last week, however, the Communications and Digital Committee of the House of Lords took evidence from Margaret Hodge on her refreshingly honest review of Arts Council England (ACE). Broadcast of the session wasn’t gripping, but how refreshing to hear a thoughtful, informed and positive discussion on the theme of culture from Westminster.

As regards ACE itself, Baroness Hodge first made clear what she thought it should be: a non-governmental body responsible for funding and offering access to excellence in the Arts. It should, furthermore, be focused on the needs of those it supports — artists — and those it serves — the public — and have its character as an arm’s-length body reaffirmed. This was, she argued, necessary to avoid creativity being ‘stifled by political whim’. Later in the hearing, she made explicit reference to the now notorious intervention by the former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries in ACE’s last funding round.

As well as touching on the frustrations felt by many who had recently sought funding from ACE, Baroness Hodge also spoke about the need to simplify the process by which it operated. She characterised its application process as ‘box-ticking’ and pointed out that there was now an industry simply in filling out the necessary forms, some of it actually paid for by ACE itself. The organisation’s approach, moreover, was characterised as ‘instrumentalist’. ‘Rather than celebrating excellence,’ she observed of ACE, ‘it’s trying to change society. Now, we all believe art changes society; we all believe it has an absolutely crucial role to play in that… but that shouldn’t be its focus and underpinning principle.’

Other suggested reforms included staggering application rounds, longer funding cycles and a division of responsibilities within the organisation to engage with national and local institutions; and that the first scrutiny of applications should involve artists so that there was an informed response to proposals. Local Arts could be encouraged by funding of individuals and there should be more support for regional tours by larger cultural organisations — all very sensible.

On the subject of funding, two themes emerged. One was that there was an urgent need to encourage private philanthropy outside London and the South-East, which currently enjoys the lion’s share of such support. In this regard, Baroness Hodge deprecated the effects of cancel culture and the way it discourages corporations from supporting the Arts. More generally, she acknowledged that, in the present circumstance, the Government was not going to provide extra money for the Arts. Consequently, she argued — surely correctly — the most promising means of improving Arts funding is reform of the tax system; tailor tax relief correctly and it becomes a mechanism both for incentivising philanthropy and reducing the costs and overheads of cultural institutions. Athena couldn’t agree more. The problem is, will the Treasury listen?

This feature originally appeared in the April 22, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Over Fifty Years of Experience

For more than half a century, Stonewood has been shaping homes and buildings of character throughout the South of England. What began as a small family construction firm has evolved into a calm, confident and highly skilled practice known for delivering work of enduring quality.

The company’s heritage is not measured in size or scale but in the consistency of its craftsmanship and the trust it has earned from clients, architects and designers over many decades. Every project reflects the principles on which Stonewood was founded: care, commitment and a clear respect for architecture.

Our Artisan Trades

The foundation of Stonewood is its community of in-house artisan trades. More than 140 craftspeople work within the business, each bringing years of learned skill and practical knowledge. Their disciplines span traditional joinery and stonemasonry to modern construction techniques, giving Stonewood a depth of expertise that is rarely matched. This capability ensures that the company can maintain a consistently high standard across every element of a project, from the smallest junction to the most demanding structural detail. Clients often remark that Stonewood’s craftsmanship is distinguished by its quiet precision and its natural understanding of material and form.

Our Project Teams

Stonewood’s project teams work collaboratively from the moment they become involved to completion. They bring clarity, organisation and sensitivity to the process, ensuring that decisions are made with confidence and craftsmanship is executed with purpose. Their role is not simply to oversee construction but to create the conditions in which designers can feel supported and clients can feel reassured. The project teams coordinate the specialist knowledge of the artisans, monitor quality at every stage and maintain the efficient, disciplined progress that Stonewood is known for.

Working in Partnership with Designers

Stonewood has nurtured strong working relationships with many leading architects, interior designers and consultants. These partnerships are built on mutual respect and a shared belief that collaboration leads to better buildings. Designers appreciate Stonewood’s willingness to contribute ideas early in the process, offering technical insight that strengthens the project long before construction begins.

This open, cooperative way of working helps to refine design intent, resolve complexities and ensure that the creative ambition behind a scheme is safeguarded throughout. For clients, this means a building that feels coherent, thoughtfully delivered and true to the spirit of the original design.

Realising the Design Concept

A hallmark of Stonewood is its ability to realise the design concept as it was conceived. This involves more than accuracy and adherence to drawings. It requires an understanding of the design’s underlying principles and an appreciation of the subtleties that give a building its character.

Stonewood’s teams work to ensure that materials are used appropriately, details are executed faithfully and the overall composition retains the balance and intent envisioned by the design team. Their aim is always to create a finished piece of architecture that feels honest, complete and truly reflective of the ideas that shaped it.

Trusted Specialist Partners

Although Stonewood values the skill and depth of its own workforce, the company also recognises the importance of specialist expertise. Over many years, it has built strong relationships with subcontractors and suppliers whose knowledge complements its own. Whether the project requires specialist stone, bespoke metalwork, complex glazing systems or advanced building technologies, Stonewood works with partners whose standards match its own.

These relationships are long established, founded on trust, shared expectations and a history of successful collaboration. Together, they allow Stonewood to deliver highly detailed work with confidence and consistency.

Renovation, Restoration and New Build

Stonewood works across a wide range of project types, from sensitive restoration of listed homes to the construction of contemporary residences and commercial buildings. Its craftspeople are deeply familiar with traditional construction techniques and understand the responsibility that comes with working on historic fabric. Stonewood approaches these buildings with respect, aiming to preserve what is valuable, repair what is fragile and enhance what needs strengthening, always with a view to long term stewardship.

At the same time, the company delivers new build bespoke residences and commercial projects, including hotels, visitor attractions and other destinations that require both aesthetic quality and technical performance. Whether designing for heritage or building anew, Stonewood approaches each commission with the same dedication to detail, craft and architectural integrity.

Culture of Craft, Detail and Design

Stonewood cultivates a culture that values courtesy, precision and professionalism. The company’s people take great pride in their work and in the relationships they build with clients, client teams, and each other. Sites are run with care and order, communication is clear and the pace of work is measured and efficient. This culture is supported by continuous learning, with skills passed from one generation of craftspeople to the next and new methods embraced where they enhance quality.

Traditional Buildings that Meet Modern Standards

Stonewood believes that buildings should be made to last and designed to be lived in with comfort and ease. While the company remains rooted in traditional craftsmanship, it adopts new technologies and techniques where they improve performance, energy efficiency or long-term durability. The result is a portfolio of work in which traditional architecture feels perfectly attuned to modern expectations. Each project is approached with the belief that thoughtful construction, executed with integrity, creates homes and buildings that will serve generations to come.

Lonika Chande founded her award-winning, London-based interior design studio in 2017. The studio works on residential projects across the UK and abroad.

Lonika is supported by a dedicated and experienced design team who share her attention to detail. For Lonika to maintain a hands-on approach and build meaningful relationships with clients, the team works collaboratively on a small number of projects.

The studio creates highly original spaces. An intuitive use of colour and captivating textile combinations resonate warmth, character and individuality to complement the architectural integrity of a building.

Find out more at lonikachande.com.

For over 65 years, Donald Insall Associates has shaped how the world views heritage.

From restoring listed country manors, to extending rural family homes, the company believes that heritage is not just to be protected but understood, cared for, and shaped for the future. They take a considered approach, balancing tradition and transformation to help the historic environment remain purposeful and resilient.

Sustainability is fundamental to this process — guiding how Donald Insall Associates conserves, adapts and reimagines heritage to meet the needs of tomorrow. Every intervention is informed by deep expertise, commercial awareness, and a commitment to meaningful change — ensuring the past continues to enrich contemporary life.

As an employee-owned practice with national reach, they offer expertise in conservation, heritage consultancy, new design in historic settings, and townscape advice. The firm's experts see the full picture — materials, history, evolving policy — bringing insight and precision to every project.

Donald Insall Associates' collaborative approach bridges architecture, design, and heritage consultancy — uniting deep knowledge and a shared vision to create solutions that serve clients, partners, and communities.

See more at the Donald Insall Associates website.

Transforming international public and private art collections

As the leading specialist in art lighting, TM Lighting is renowned for its award-winning, British-designed and manufactured LED lighting products for global private and public art collections.

The TM philosophy is based on the belief that when art is illuminated to its full potential, it can transform the viewing experience at home or in a gallery space. It also helps clients discover how exceptional lighting can elevate a single masterpiece to an entire art collection.

TM Lighting provides tailored solutions to an international client base that includes globally acclaimed artists (Damien Hirst, Conrad Shawcross and Antony Gormley), world-class public and private art collections, museums and many of the UK’s historic houses (Arundel Castle, Blenheim Palace and Kenwood House, for example) along with contemporary galleries.

Museum-quality

TM Lighting works with UK’s leading museums, institutions and organisations including The National Gallery, The Victoria & Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, The National Trust, English Heritage. It is also the official lighting partner for Somerset House.

British made

The TM Lighting product range is proudly designed and manufactured in central London, UK, now with CB international accreditation and UL Listing for the US.

Service excellence

Not only does TM Lighting design and manufacture its own range of products, but it also provides lighting as a personal, end-to-end design and advisory service to its international client base. This includes educating the client on how to light artwork and also focusing the lights to ensure the perfect lighting in the gallery or home setting.

#BringingArtToLight

tmlighting.com

BLDA Architects specialises in creating and delivering bespoke buildings, spaces, and places. We are passionate about curating understated luxury, carefully tailored to each client’s journey, preferences, and needs.

Our designs seek to balance beauty and delight with uncompromising utility and value. With extensive experience in super-prime private residential projects in sensitive settings, we craft architecture that reflects our client’s tastes, respects its context, and carries the warmth and character that only a handcrafted approach can achieve.

Based in Chelsea, we are proud of our enviable portfolio of prestigious commissions delivered from conception through to completion.

Our team of architects, interior designers, and technicians is renowned for combining creative flair with a deep, practical understanding of the construction process.

Find out more at www.blda.co.uk

Rebecca has over 18 years of buying experience across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex.

Rebecca Regis has established herself as one of the leading buying agents in East Anglia. Leveraging extensive contacts, close relationships within the property, business and farming communities. Rebecca uncovers properties both on and ‘off’ the market, leaving no stone unturned.

More than a search agent, she is a dedicated partner, guiding clients along their journey from the initial search through to the final transaction and through the door of their new home.

Whether you’re seeking a country estate, coastal retreat, village house or family home, you can trust Rebecca Regis Property Search to deliver a bespoke experience that is tailored to your requirements.

Timeless Crystalware for Every Table

At Veritable, crystalware is more than just tableware — it is about creating moments that are treasured and remembered. Our collection was born from a love of fine food and drink, and the joy of sharing them with family and friends. Whether it’s a Sunday roast, an anniversary toast, or simply a quiet weekday supper, the right tableware adds a sense of care and attention that makes each occasion special.

Craftmanship

Each piece is hand-crafted by skilled artisans using traditional techniques, designed to last and be enjoyed for generations. Our timeless designs are chosen to be loved equally by grandparents and grandchildren.

As William Morris said: 'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.'

Appeal

Crystal has been prized for centuries for its clarity, strength, and sparkle. The high mineral content allows for fine walls and thin rims, perfect for wine glasses, and enhances the natural brilliance of the glass. The soft bell-like chime when glasses meet is a joyful reminder of care, quality, and tradition. These are not just vessels, but pieces to enjoy with all the senses — sight, touch, even sound.

Authenticity

The name Veritable comes from the Latin for 'true', reflecting our commitment to authenticity, beauty and practicality.

Our crystalware is the finishing touch that brings true pleasure to everyday dining, making even simple meals feel considered and complete.

To us, dining is about taking a moment to slow down, taking pride in how it is served.

Gifting

Veritable is about treating yourself and your loved ones.

It is all about Dining Well.

Find out more at www.veri-table.co.uk

Heritage

From rock stars to landed gentry, Pat Giddens is the last of five generations of drapers who have dressed the homes of the rich and famous creating beautiful interiors to match their celebrated owners.

Over a century on from the first Giddens drapery — established by her great grandfather in 1878 — Pat now sits at the head of the business, combining impeccable heritage with contemporary style and flair.

Services

Pat Giddens Ltd employs a team of highly skilled curtain makers and upholsterers, creating exquisite curtains, blinds, upholstery and soft furnishings from its West London workshop. More than just drapers, each member of the team shares a keen eye for design and a rich knowledge of fabrics, both traditional and contemporary, enjoying close relationships with a number of top fabric designers from around the globe. The highest level of craftsmanship and attention to detail sees clients return again and again.

Portfolio

The company’s impressive portfolio includes a variety of commissions, from grand country estates and luxurious ski chalets to small rural cottages and London apartments. In addition to its roster of private clients, the team works with a number of the UK’s leading interior designers, as well as a host of national trust properties.

In addition to her drapery business, Pat also runs a beautiful homewares company called The Hackney Draper. The shop is a treasure trove of eclectic homewares, textiles, cushions and bespoke linens, curated from all over the world. The team here also makes curtains and upholstered furniture for both private clients as well as architects, interior designers and commercial businesses.

Find out more at patgiddens.co.uk

Overview:

 Blackacre is an award winning, B Corp Certified jeweller that has grown almost entirely by word of mouth since being founded in 2017. Specialising in the creation of high-quality bespoke engagement rings, personal jewellery and limited-edition designs – each piece is uniquely made to order in their London atelier. Widely regarded as the best when it comes to the creation of engagement rings a recent award win as "Bespoke Jeweller of the Year" from the National Association of Jewellers further endorses this remarkable team of experts.

With a particular emphasis on crafting designs around expertly sourced natural diamonds and gemstones, the team of designers, gemmologists and jewellers are unrivalled when it comes to bringing personal designs to life.

Most notable is their approach to expedition sourcing. Recent years have seen the team document journeys into the Sri Lankan and Colombian jungle in search of precious stones.

The Blackacre team is led by jeweller and designer Sam Stirrat, whose childhood passion for collecting pebbles on the beach and semi precious stones is the foundation upon which the Blackacre vision has evolved.

Bespoke engagement rings:

With no investment or external financing, the team chose from the outset to pick one thing to do better than anyone else – the creation of bespoke engagement rings. By channelling all their energy into a highly customer focussed approach, an exceptional reputation has been built. Now considered by many to be amongst the best when it comes to the creation of unique and personal engagement ring designs.

Each engagement ring made by Blackacre is created to order in their London workshop by a team that comprises some of the finest craftsmen and women in the world, many of whom have previously worked in the world’s finest luxury jewellery houses.

A typical engagement ring journey starts with an initial conversation to understand the exact requirements or brief. With no template designs or standardised approach, each client is provided with advice, guidance and information tailored to their needs. From here the team will support you in further homing in on the exact design and specification. Adopting a highly educational and collaborative approach, this process will involve an array of methodologies tailored to the individual couple’s needs – from pencil design work and technical designs, to viewings of loose diamonds or gemstones carefully curated by the team.

The magic of this vibrant, caring and passionate company does not stop here with clients regularly noting that one of the most joyous components of their journey is seeing the design come to life. Whilst not typically expected, the Blackacre team regularly share photo or video updates of each piece being created directly from the workshop which adds to the deeper meaning and sentiment imbued within each piece.

Sustainability:

Perceived by many as the flag bearer in a new era of responsible luxury, Blackacre became B Corp Certified in 2024.

With an exceptionally high score of 99.3 it is one of only a handful of luxury jewellers to achieve this status worldwide, and the only “Top Tier” jeweller to achieve this within the UK. Such a feat is all the more impressive given that the brand only works with natural diamond and gemstones (staying true to its roots whilst more revenue hungry brands flee to meet the rise in demand for lab grown stones).

Most notable within the brand's ethos is their approach to expedition based sourcing. Travelling to far flung corners of the earth in search of precious diamonds and gemstones, recent years have seen the team of jewellers travel to Sri Lanka and Colombia in search of Sapphires and Emeralds respectively.

Documented by expert filmmaker Will Warr, filmmaker to the Duke and Duchess of Wales, these short form documentaries highlight the lengths Blackacre go to in creating perfect pieces.

High quality and authentic experience:

A simple search online or discussion with existing clients will quickly highlight the loyalty and passion garnered amongst the brand's discerning clientele which includes entrepreneurs, financiers, lawmakers and a host of rising stars. The brand has displayed a staggering level of consistency, focussed entirely on delivering pieces that thrill each and every client, as evidenced by the plethora of glowing testimonials and reviews online.

What many connected with the brand comment on is their level of care. This might seem so simple but in an increasingly fast paced world where many are seeking efficiency, this brand is doubling down on making quality their priority. Such a focus has led to many of those within the industry frequently commenting on the quality of craftsmanship, which rivals some of the best in the world.

With the majority of clients starting their journey in the creation of a bespoke engagement ring many will go on to treat the brand as their jeweller for life.

For those seeking a personal piece of jewellery or custom made engagement ring Blackacre is a name that you will undoubtedly wish to have on your list.

Craig Hamilton Architects is an internationally renowned, award-winning, progressive classical and traditional architectural practice with an exceptional body of work. The practice has a reputation for delivering highly bespoke, beautifully detailed buildings exemplified by subtle originality and superb building craftmanship.

Founded in 1991 by Craig Hamilton, who has been cited as a leading contemporary classical architect, and co-directed with Dr Gail Kenton since 2022, Craig Hamilton Architects undertakes a diverse range of projects throughout the United Kingdom and abroad.

In 2017 Hamilton became the 37^th recipient of the Arthur Ross Award from The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art in America for Excellence in Classical Architecture, and in 2023 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Traditional Architecture Group.

The practice has completed projects for the Duchy of Cornwall and was responsible for designing and overseeing the conversion of buildings at Llwynywermod for Their Majesties The King and Queen (then The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall).

Country houses of all sizes form a significant, award-winning component of their work. New build projects are undertaken as well as renovations and extensions to historic properties. They have a successful track record of achieving planning consent, including works to Grade I Listed buildings and National Policy Planning Framework Paragraph 79 (formerly Paragraph 55) submissions, under which homes of exceptional design are occasionally approved to be built in rural areas. Current and recently completed country house projects are found throughout the United Kingdom including the Cotswolds, the Midlands, Cornwall and Scotland, as well as in Texas in the USA.

The practice has extensive experience of estate masterplanning and development, where a wide range of estate buildings have been designed and built, or renovated, including chapels and memorials; pools, gymnasiums and leisure facilities; stables; estate cottages; and garden pavilions.

Townhouses form a further area of expertise for the practice which has previously completed new build projects, as well as renovations and extensions to Listed and historic properties in London.

Sacred and monumental architecture is very important to the practice, particularly the design of chapels and mausoleums, for which it is renowned. The integration of sculpture into these projects is a hallmark of the design approach and Craig Hamilton has collaborated with the neo-Classical sculptor Professor Alexander Stoddart, Sculptor in Ordinary to H.M. The King in Scotland, over many years, on a number of projects including two chapels, two mausoleums and a pool pavilion in the United Kingdom, and large commercial office buildings and a memorial tower in Dallas, Texas, where an extensive programme of sculpture has been provided.

The practice is involved with every aspect of a project including the design of bespoke fabrics, cabinetry, furniture, fittings and stained glass. In this way the practice embraces a way of making architecture that is unusual in the 21st century and which is built upon longstanding, successful working relationships with a wide range of highly skilled craftspeople. The practice also works with a network of respected consultants.

Find out more at craighamiltonarchitects.com.

At 125, one begins to feel one’s age, so the most elegant grand-dame of London’s museums, The Wallace Collection, is celebrating its anniversary with a ‘facelift’. The forthcoming renovation will make it more accessible, sustainable and enjoyable, but will do so subtly, keeping intact the character of its home, Hertford House.

The museum, which opened its doors on June 25, 1900, had already undergone major refurbishment ahead of its 100th anniversary — the Centenary Project extended the public space at Hertford House by almost a third — and its Great Gallery was overhauled in 2014, with smaller redecoration efforts taking place a few years ago during lockdown.

Masterminded by Selldorf Architects — fresh from revitalising The National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing and The Frick Collection in New York — plus heritage specialist Purcell and learning-environment experts Lawson Ward Studio, the new project will further improve circulation, visitor experience and gallery spaces, as well as building a new learning centre.

‘We want every visitor — whether it’s their first visit or their 50th — to feel a sense of comfort and connection from the moment they walk through the door,’ explains The Wallace’s director, Xavier Bray. ‘That means rethinking the ground floor in particular: improving how people arrive, how they orientate themselves and how they move through the building.’

The refurbishment also offers an opportunity to bring new focus to spaces and objects that are now too easily overlooked because of poor lighting and display density. ‘If we can create a space that feels more welcoming, accessible and alive with possibility, while still honouring the intimacy and character of Hertford House, then we will have achieved something truly meaningful.’

Design development is currently under way and, once funding and the appropriate approvals are in place, the renovation is expected to take several years to complete. It is not yet confirmed whether the Wallace will have to close at any point. However, explains a museum spokesperson, ‘the intention is to keep the collection as accessible as possible throughout the works, which will be carefully phased to minimise disruption’.

Ian Adam-Smith Architects specialise in designing ‘The English Country House’. With over 25 years of experience, their work ranges from thoughtful additions to listed buildings to the development of entire private estates. Their unmatched attention to detail and expertise makes them the ideal partner for anyone seeking to create their dream home in the countryside.

Recently joining the practice is Ian’s son, Mungo. Inspired by the craft from a young age, Mungo now co-leads the practice with his father, bringing a fresh perspective and shared passion for excellence.

Based in Fernhurst, West Sussex, the Ian Adam-Smith Architects team is dedicated to working with both private clients and developers to design homes that evoke the charm of period properties yet are built with the highest standards of modern craftsmanship. Their expertise extends to the restoration of significant Arts and Crafts houses by renowned architects like Lutyens, Voysey, Shaw, and Lorimer. In these projects, they take great care to return the homes to their original splendour while integrating sustainable technologies for long-term value.

With a holistic approach that spans from interiors to landscaping, Ian Adam-Smith Architects collaborate with a trusted network of designers, craftsmen, and consultants to deliver the best possible results. Their team’s vision captures the essence of each project, creating spaces that feel timeless and deeply personal.

Having completed over 700 projects, primarily private homes and estates across West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, London, and internationally from France to Barbados, Ian Adam-Smith Architects are known for their commitment to understanding clients' needs and building lasting relationships. This dedication ensures a loyal clientele who return time and time again.

With a strong network of experts, ranging from landscape designers and cabinet makers to project managers and planning consultants, Ian Adam-Smith Architects lead every project with energy, passion, and experience to craft exceptional country houses.

Find out more at ianadam-smith.co.uk.

Flint Homes are affectionately known as the ‘Kirstie & Phil of Norfolk’ – specialists in sourcing charming on & off-market properties for discerning buyers across Norfolk & the Suffolk border.

Created by former journalist Phil Royle & his designer wife Bonnie, Flint Homes offer a completely bespoke property buying service, tailored for those seeking expert local insight & discreet, first-class support finding a home.

Acting as a single point of entry to the whole Norfolk property market, Flint Homes discover & secure family & individuals homes, investment properties, holiday lets & second homes & even temporary homes: from sub £500K budgets to multi-million pound properties & estates of the finest quality.

Every property search is as individual as their clients & Flint Homes provide a fully personalised, concierge-style experience – from initial interviews & detailed search, through expert negotiation, to successful exchange of contracts & beyond. They have a wide range of expert contacts & contractors on hand to enable the smoothest of transitions to life in the ‘big sky county.’

Phil & Bonnie’s caring & thoughtful approach – honed over their own 20+ years of experience buying & moving around the region – ensures a smooth transition to Norfolk life, helping buyers find not just a house, but a true home.

As one leading lifestyle magazine put it recently: 'Flint Homes take the stress out of finding your dream property replacing it with expert advice & fun! You’ll never want to use estate agents again!'

Find out more at flinthomes.co.uk.

Based in the heart of the Cotswolds, J Rigg Construction is built on a foundation of craftsmanship, integrity, and a deep appreciation for the charm of the region’s architecture.

It's a construction company that specialises in delivering high-quality building and renovation services, combining traditional techniques with modern innovation to create homes that are as beautiful as they are functional.

With over 50 years’ experience, working on a range of properties, from manor houses and listed buildings to bespoke new builds, J Rigg understands the unique demands of construction in the Cotswolds. The team of highly skilled craftsmen are passionate about preserving the heritage and aesthetic of the area while meeting the highest standards of quality and performance.

Quality Without Compromise.

Find out more at jriggconstruction.co.uk

Moore Design Ltd is a boutique interior design practice with an impressive roster of high end clients around the UK and overseas. Eminent designer Robert Moore launched his solo business in 2010 following a decade working with Paolo Moschino for the Nicky Haslam brand.

Boasting a varied portfolio of grand country houses, chic London homes and romantic ski chalets, Robert is the epitome of laid back glamour.

Moore Design's Ethos

Moore Design specialises in creating smart, elegant and above all timeless spaces for discerning clients. From large restoration projects to interior renovations, Robert works alongside architects and planners when needed. He is meticulous about the quality of his work, drawing on a carefully curated little black book of experts and craftsmen.

A training in furniture and product design allows for an innate understanding of the finer detail and a knack for mixing old with new. In many of his schemes, contemporary features sit comfortably alongside antique treasures and period features.

Unafraid to combine vivid colour with neutral tones, Robert is wary of ‘in vogue’ colour schemes creating spaces that are beautiful but above all liveable and stand the test of time.

Moore Design's USP

A highly personal service and fearsome attention to detail is at the heart of every Moore design. Working closely with clients, much loved personal pieces take pride of place — from a treasured antique heirloom to a favourite work of art, prize possessions are cleverly woven into the fabric of every project.

Find out more at mooredesign.info.

Why Kingswood?

Kingswood School is situated on a magnificent 120-acre site in Lansdown, Bath, and offers an inclusive and welcoming boarding and day community. The school’s approach blends academic excellence with a strong emphasis on the arts, sport, and pastoral care, while maintaining traditional values and a forward-thinking mindset. Kingswood provides an environment where intellectual rigour, creativity, and compassion thrive, ensuring that every pupil is encouraged to reach their full potential.

Academic Provision

Kingswood offers a broad and balanced curriculum that combines traditional subjects such as Mathematics and Science with a forward-looking approach. The school places a strong emphasis on languages, drama, and the arts, ensuring pupils have the opportunity to explore a wide range of academic interests.

At GCSE, pupils can choose from 20 subjects, while at A-level, 23 subjects are available, with the flexibility to study beyond set blocks. Popular subjects include Mathematics, Science, Economics, and Psychology, with most pupils opting to complete an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) to pursue individual interests.

Starting in the 2024/25 academic year, Kingswood’s new Advanced Elective Programme gives Year 12 pupils the chance to explore subjects that spark their curiosity. Whether it’s exploring ‘real life’ maths through topics like income tax and mortgages, or designing and racing a miniature F1 team, pupils will engage in seminar-style learning, encouraging discussion, debate, and independent thought. This approach mirrors higher education and provides valuable preparation for life beyond school.

Although a Kingswood education is about far more than just learning in the classroom, the school prides itself on strong examination performance. The 2024 A-level results saw half of all grades at A* or A, 81% at A* - B and a 100% pass rate. At GCSE 63% of grades were 7 to 9 (Equivalent of A/A*); 41% at grades 8 and 9; with four students achieving an incredible set of 10 straight 9s.

Pastoral Care

At the heart of Kingswood’s pastoral system are its Houses, where dedicated staff provide daily support and guidance. The school’s outstanding pastoral care, as rated in the latest ISI report, is highly valued by both pupils and parents. Each pupil is assigned a personal tutor who mentors them, helping to set and achieve personal targets while encouraging independent learning.

Kingswood recognises the importance of social spaces, offering a variety of sitting areas and games rooms. Day pupils and boarders alike benefit from the strong sense of community within the boarding houses. Additionally, each pupil has access to a house tutor, houseparent, and head of year to ensure personalised care and support.

Westwood House is the daily base for Lower School day and boarding pupils across Years 7 and 8, providing the perfect space to offer a nurturing and supportive environment for pupils in the younger years of the Senior School.

Boarding

Kingswood welcomes boarders from Year 7 to Year 13, with pupils coming from across the UK and around the world. The mix of backgrounds and cultures creates a dynamic and enriching boarding experience, offering invaluable preparation for life beyond school.

Dedicated staff, including teachers and residential houseparents, are always on hand to provide guidance, encouragement, or simply a listening ear, helping pupils ignite their potential.

Sport

Sport is an integral part of Kingswood’s holistic approach to education, teaching pupils valuable life skills such as teamwork, resilience, leadership, and self-discipline. The school’s extensive sports programme caters to pupils of all abilities, from those aspiring to compete at the highest level to those who enjoy sport for fitness and wellbeing.

Kingswood has a proud sporting tradition, with pupils regularly competing at local and national levels across a variety of sports, including rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, swimming, and athletics. Many pupils go on to represent their counties and beyond.

The school’s impressive facilities include floodlit all-weather pitches, a state-of-the-art sports centre with gym and fitness suite, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and expansive fields, offering the perfect environment for pupils to train, compete, and develop their skills.

Art

Kingswood’s Art Department inspires creativity across all year groups, offering pupils the chance to explore a wide range of media in both lessons and extracurricular activities.

The department boasts specialised spaces for painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and photography, as well as a dedicated Sixth Form studio, a 16-computer suite, and an extensive art library. With excellent examination results and a rich artistic tradition, the school fosters both individual expression and technical skill.

Drama

The Drama department at Kingswood provides numerous opportunities for pupils to engage in extracurricular productions, workshops, and trips. The school regularly takes pupils to local theatres, and also organises visits to London and New York. With two major productions staged each year, pupils can participate both on stage and behind the scenes, with roles in sound, lighting, special effects, and set design.

Music

Kingswood’s music provision is diverse and inclusive, offering a range of ensembles for all ages and abilities. The Kingswood Choir performs at prestigious school events, including the Carol and Commemoration services at Bath Abbey. Pupils can also participate in a variety of musical genres, from pop classics and musical theatre to traditional music. Ensembles include the Kingswood Jazz Orchestra, Brass Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble, Kingswood Strings, and pupil-run rock bands.

World-class specialist in luxury surfaces

A Yorkshire company with an international reputation, Lapicida work with top architects and designers, as well as private clients, all over the world. A world-class specialist in luxury surfaces, Lapicida combines natural stone and marble products, new-generation materials and unique bespoke services with traditional masonry skills and high-tech capabilities. Lapicida is also a renowned specialist in reclaimed stone, marble and terracotta, reengineering antique surfaces for 21st century use.

Showrooms in Harrogate and Belgravia

Lapicida has inspirational showrooms in both Belgravia, London and Harrogate, North Yorkshire where the company’s extraordinary three-acre showroom, garden and workshop complex is located. The Harrogate showroom displays hundreds of products, indoors and out, whilst their workshops house traditional artisan stonemasons, working alongside technicians who operate the most advanced scanning and automated stone-working equipment in Europe.

It is this combination of traditional stonemasonry and state-of-the-art product which sets Lapicida apart. Lapicida maintains large stocks in their Yorkshire warehouses for fast delivery.

Bespoke British craftsmanship

From historic reclaimed floors to custom-made elements for indoors and out, Lapicida’s Belgravia showroom highlights the company’s bespoke capabilities, combining advanced technology and craft skills to transform stone and marble into anything from cantilevered staircases, balustrades, book-matched panels, custom-designed inlays and intricate mosaics to stone and marble baths, full-scale statuary, tables, basins and freestanding decorative pieces . This is bespoke British craftsmanship at its very highest level.

ORNAMENTI garden ornaments

Alongside their collection of beautiful surfaces is ORNAMENTI - a curated collection of fine garden ornaments from frost-resistant terracotta, via unique garden furniture and armillary sphere sundials, to hand-carved fountains and obelisks.

Collaborations including English Heritage

Lapicida's product collaborations with leading designers, and the likes of English Heritage, challenge the technical boundaries of stone design and manufacturing. Working towards carbon neutrality, Lapicida collaborates with its suppliers to source responsibly and recycles waste stone.

Find out more at lapicida.com

Established in 1953, Chilstone have been handcrafting the finest quality garden ornaments and architectural stone for over seventy years. We are a distinguished heritage brand featured in some of the most prestigious gardens across the UK and the world, including Kensington Palace Gardens, Kew Gardens and Hever Castle.

Our wide range of garden ornaments include planters, urns, fountains, balustrades and more.

Fine Cast Stone Garden Ornaments

We handcraft fine cast stone using traditional techniques to produce a wide range of classical and contemporary garden ornaments. Many of our products can be adapted, or made bespoke on request, including sundials, urns, fountains, statues and benches.

Chilstone garden ornaments create beautiful features to enhance the appearance and design of gardens of all sizes, whether you have a vast historic estate, country garden or a petite city courtyard.

Our cast stone is a versatile material. It is available in a range of colours and it can be painted. Our products naturally develop a rich patina over time like natural stone.

Many of our items, can be engraved to create lasting gifts for important milestones, birthdays and anniversaries.

We have seven decades of experience working with homeowners, landscapers and renowned RHS Chelsea Flower Show designers, providing inspiration and bringing their ideas to life.

Hard Landscaping

Chilstone make a wide range of stonework suitable for hard landscaping. Our bestselling balustrade designs were inspired by the traditional stonework at the Embankment in London as part of the original Waterloo Bridge along with the famous sixteenth century Golden Staircase at Hever Castle, commissioned by Thomas Boleyn.

We can also produce bespoke balustrading to repair and restore existing stonework with a colour matching service. We handcraft steps, coping stones, staddle stones, padstones and gate pier capitals to create a smart finish for your hard landscaping designs.

Architectural Stone and Restorations

Chilstone architectural stone is perfect for a range of new build properties, extensions and porticos. Over the past seven decades we have helped to create homes from period restorations, to new builds made to blend sympathetically with the surrounding neighbourhood, to modern homes with standout design features. Our skilled team has designed stonework for diverse building projects from Victorian style door arches, to Georgian window surrounds and cills to chic modern porticos.

Over the years, we have had the pleasure of working with architects, builders, historical estates, homeowners, property developers, landscapers and also major screen productions, such as Netflix’s The Crown and Disney’s Artemis Fowl.

Our vast and varied experience has given us the skills to provide a wide array of made-to-order stonework. Please get in touch to discuss your projects.

Guild Anderson is driven by the simple goal of doing justice to period architecture by designing rooms which sit comfortably in their surroundings and last forever.

Empathy. The Cornerstone of Good Design.

The company’s guiding principle centres around empathy for both client and architecture. By listening to the needs of both, it can design rooms which complement architecture without overshadowing it. Combining this with a forensic examination of its client’s lives, the company is able tread the fine line between sympathetic aesthetics and deep practicality.

Rooms with Purpose

The rooms Guild Anderson creates are there to be used. To be there for their client’s family journey. To be dented, scuffed and enriched with the hallmarks of daily life. To tell stories. And, after a few years perhaps, given a fresh coat of paint ready for the next generation to enjoy. To this end, the company creates rooms with purpose and rooms with soul, not simply rooms to be admired.

Awards with Interior Designers

Close collaboration with interior designers forms an important part of Guild Anderson’s success. The company embraces such collaboration, with its recent partnership with Salvesen Graham being awarded a Bespoke Guild Mark by The Furniture Makers’ Company for their collective work at Trewithen, a Grade I listed Palladian house in Cornwall. Further recent projects alongside Max Rollitt, Guy Goodfellow, Craig Hamilton Architects and Adam Architecture are also being admired.

Designed to Endure

The companies knowledge and understanding for classical proportion, shadow and scale, combined with deep interest in how modern families can live in period houses, allows it to create rooms which look like they belong, rooms which function exceptionally well, and rooms which last for lifetimes.

For more information visit www.guildandersonfurniture.co.uk

Founded by Sean in 2019, Sean Symington Design has grown into a close-knit, dynamic team of skilled designers delivering exceptional service to an expanding clientele.

With roots in Toronto and experience at leading firms across the UK and North America, Sean has built a practice that draws on his diverse background in residential, hospitality, and commercial design.

This deep understanding of both design and construction is at the center of the studio’s approach, where the focus remains on prioritising clients’ needs while crafting bespoke interiors that truly resonate with their homeowners.

Each project is approached holistically, seamlessly blending interior architecture and meticulous styling to create cohesive, distinctive spaces.

Guided by the client’s vision, Sean develops and delivers design that honour both individual preferences and the architectural integrity of each property.

Every project begins with a detailed brief, establishing clear parameters while allowing room for creative interpretation and unexpected touches that become signature moments.

Find out more at seansymington.com

Founded by Kit Kemp MBE, the Kit Kemp Design Studio is celebrated for its highly creative, individual and original approach to design, with colourful and detailed storytelling which celebrates craft and captures the imagination. Working across residential, hospitality and product design, Kit and her team are passionate about creating exciting and unique interiors that entice and surprise. The Design Studio is a family business, with Kit’s daughters Willow and Minnie Kemp leading key roles within the studio.

Recent projects include ‘A Dining Room of One’s Own’ for the prestigious Kips Bay 49th Annual Decorator Show House in New York, Warren Street Hotel, a 69-bedroom hotel in TriBeCa, a collaboration on a comprehensive textile collection with GP & J Baker, alongside residential projects in the UK, France and the US. Author of four books, ‘A Living Space which follows an inspiring personal voyage through the many spaces Kit has designed, ’Every Room Tells A Story ‘Design Thread’ and 'Design Secrets’, Kit’s guide to adding character and style to an interior.

A Dining Room of One’s Own, a jewel-box dining room, was created for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York, where stepping over the threshold into this layered space immediately transports you to the English countryside.

Nestled in the vibrant and creative Tribeca neighbourhood, Warren Street Hotel is a joyful celebration of contemporary art and design, filled with unique pieces from favourite and recently discovered artists, with every inch infused with our sense of fun and love of storytelling.

Kit Kemp collaborated on a comprehensive textile collection with GP & J Baker, transforming their Design Centre, London showroom into an enchanting and vibrant forest, captivating the senses.

The Kit Kemp Design Studio has collaborated with leading global design brands such as Wedgwood, Spode, Andrew Martin, Christopher Farr, Chelsea Textiles, Fine Cell Work, Porta Romana, Annie Selke, Wilton Carpets and Anthropologie, creating iconic fabric and wallpaper collections, signature tableware and bath and body ranges that each capture Kit's spirit and passion for craft.

Most recently, the Kit Kemp Design Studio has collaborated with Humans since 1982, creating the ClockClock 24 ‘Dada Blue’ edition, composed of twenty-four small analogue clocks, available exclusively at Shop Kit Kemp.

Residential rustic country house projects by Kit Kemp Design Studio.

“Fond memories of growing up deep in the countryside play a subliminal role in our crafted country style aesthetic. I’m always looking for pieces that tell a unique story, maybe of a person or a time in history, of a particular handcrafted technique, or even just something with a combination of colour or pattern, or a found object re-purposed in an unusual way that takes you unawares. These are the ‘design threads’ I like to weave throughout all the interiors I design.” — Kit Kemp.

Sharing the Kit Kemp collections alongside favourite artists and craftspeople, Shop Kit Kemp, an online shop and showroom in Ham Yard Village, offers an exclusive range of bespoke and ready-to-buy products for the home, created and sourced by Kit Kemp and her design team, making Kit’s playful and sophisticated designs available globally.

See more at kitkemp.com

Jack Badger is a team of highly talented and knowledgeable traditional joiners, with experience of working on some of the most beautiful, complex and prestigious projects in the country.

Based out of our workshop in Old Glossop, Derbyshire, and working throughout the UK, we have become well known for our blend of traditional joinery skills, carving, in-house design and technical capabilities as well as our collaborative approach.

Ethos

Jack Badger is borne from a family tradition of craftsmanship and a deep appreciation of traditional skills and historical buildings. This respect has guided the company’s commitment to honouring the mindset of previous masters of their craft and enabled Jack Badger to build its reputation and identity, culminating in the traditional joinery firm it is today.

Aesthetic Style

Our aesthetic style references late medieval and early modern design and our considered re-working of those designs seek to create beautifully handcrafted internal and external doors, panelling, flooring and other architectural features; authentic to the core yet fit for modern living.

Unique Selling Points

Our commitment to traditional joinery has set us apart in an industry dominated by automation and synthetic materials.

Our never wavering commitment to attract and retain the best skilled crafts men and women and refusal to compromise on the materials we use, has not always been easy, but has placed us in a unique position; few companies are able to hand-make bespoke architectural joinery on a commercial scale. Knowledge and skills that no longer exist in the wider industry are ever present in the work Jack Badger do, which has enabled us to cement our position as industry experts.

Our future

The next chapters in the Jack Badger story rely on us continuing to strengthen and grow our team, attracting and retaining the very best carvers, joiners, finishers and fitters in the country.

Whilst the tools and techniques we use to make our pieces are shrouded in tradition and key to their authenticity, we appreciate that technology has a role to play in our future. Our design and development processes can only improve as technology does, helping us to continue innovating and improving on the historical designs that inspire our work.

Find out more at jackbadger.co.uk

Website: https://caisley.uk/

Telephone: 01727 576 109

Email: info@caisley.uk

Address: 2 Crown Yard, Redbournbury Lane, Redbournbury, St Albans. AL36RS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_caisley/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caisleyinteriors

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/laurencaisley_interiors/

Caisley are an English design studio renowned for their quiet elegance and classically timeless style. Working on exceptional period properties across the UK and beyond, founder Lauren Caisley and her team create refined, comfortable and truly delightful spaces that feel like home

Caisley place the importance of home at the centre of their design process. The work is often described as warm, natural and refined and they bring an effortless aesthetic to each project.

However it’s this studio's focus on how your home feels that creates the biggest impact on their clients. No surprise then that they have been entrusted with a variety of international projects, from traditional French Manor Houses and grand Seafront Villas, to Grade-I Listed English Stately homes and royal residences.

For more information please visit caisley.uk

Website: https://watlingreclamation.co.uk/

Telephone: 01327 811888

Email: sales@watlingreclamation.co.uk

Address: Watling Reclamation The Old Pump House Cuttle Mill Business Park Watling Street Nr Towcester Northamptonshire NN12 6LF

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatlingReclamation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watling_reclamation/?hl=en

Based in the South Midlands, Watling Reclamation is a renowned supplier of reclaimed building materials, passionately committed to sustainability within construction, and preserving the architectural heritage of the United Kingdom. Rooted in a profound respect for history and the environment, the company is built on the belief that sustainability and unique garden or building projects aren’t mutually exclusive. Indeed, they are complimentary activities, and reclaimed materials should be the default position for many projects. From small personal projects to small and medium scale housing developments, reclaimed materials can often bring history and aesthetics to fulfil requirements more completely than new products.

History

Founded in 2012 by Neill and Julie Taylor, Watling Reclamation began as a modest operation, selling surplus reclaimed materials from their development of an old Northamptonshire dairy farm into Pury Hill Business Park. Pury Hill is a unique, rural business park comprising over 50 commercial offices, and notable for its wide use of reclaimed building materials. Recognising the intrinsic value of these materials, the company sought to preserve and repurpose them rather than allow them to be discarded or crushed to rubble. Over the years, Watling Reclamation has grown from a small, local initiative into a respected name in the reclamation industry.

Architectural Materials

A large proportion of its extensive inventory focuses on architectural and landscaping materials such as reclaimed bricks, roofing tiles, building stone, and walling items such as pier caps and copings. Indeed, our collection of Staffordshire Blue wall copings is one of the largest in the country and the company strives to maintain its wide variety. 

Because building restoration and refurbishment can have restrictions on materials, Watling Reclamation works hard to carry as wide a selection of reclaimed materials as possible, with bricks a particular priority. In some instances, it’s not always possible to find an exact match, so we also carry new, replica bricks, can cut some stone items to suit specific projects, or will try to source items required. 

The four acre site caters to both individual homeowners and small to medium-scale developers alike. Watling Reclamation works with and regularly supplies stately homes, estate managers, restoration and development companies.

Gardens & Landscapes

With a wide customer base, from keen enthusiasts to such luminaries as Gold Medal winning, Chelsea Flower Show designer Tom Stuart-Smith, it’s no surprise to see that Watling Reclamation’s garden focus is on distinctive individual pieces. Reclaimed stone troughs, statuary and millstones sit alongside the UK’s largest contemporary terracotta planters and both Corten Steel and zinc focal points. In particular, stone troughs are a consistently robust segment of the business, with regular sourcing trips across the UK and Europe to keep pace with demand. We have our own suppliers of Italian terracotta planters, capable of producing pots large enough for a sizeable tree! 

Water is a common theme among the larger garden features stocked at the site. Stone fountains and troughs, hand carved stone apple presses and galvanised water tanks are in constant demand from garden designers, homeowners and even film production companies. Their projects range from individual homes to corporate sites and intriguing film sets!

When it comes to landscaping, a wide selection of reclaimed and new paving is always available, with a particular focus on reclaimed Yorkstone and new Limestone from our own suppliers in Rajasthan, India. Reclaimed Granite cobbles, Staffordshire Blue stable and diamond pavers are staples in this category and constantly being replenished.

Ethics and Values

The company takes its name from Watling Street, an ancient Roman road that runs from Dover to Shrewsbury and on which the reclamation yard is situated. This historical reference underscores Watling Reclamation's dedication to bridging the past and the present, enabling the survival of traditional building materials while embracing modern sustainability principles.

The company operates under a clear set of ethical principles that prioritise environmental stewardship, historical preservation, and community engagement. Central to Watling Reclamation's ethos is the commitment to reducing waste and promoting resource efficiency. Salvaging and reusing building materials, reduces the demand for new resources, minimising the environmental impact of relevant construction projects. So each brick, timber beam, or roofing slate the company can save represents a reduction in landfill and a step toward a circular economy.

Likewise, by recovering historical architectural elements, the company ensures this heritage is enjoyed by future generations. This approach preserves antique materials and provides contemporary builders with authentic materials that can’t easily be replicated by modern manufacturing techniques.

With this knowledge and extensive stockholding, Watling Reclamation works closely with local tradesmen to support the preservation of historical structures and promote sustainable building practices. The company also works with architects, builders, and designers to advise on the benefits and use of reclaimed materials within their specific projects.

The construction industry is one of the largest contributors to global waste and carbon emissions, and the company’s work addresses these challenges head-on. By salvaging materials that would otherwise be discarded, Watling Reclamation helps conserve natural resources and reduce the energy required to produce new building components. Moreover, the company’s process of sorting and grading reclaimed materials helps prepare them for reuse, extending their lifecycle and maximising their value.

For further information please visit watlingreclamation.co.uk

Tosca & Willoughby have been making the highest quality wooden loo seats for over 40 years. During that time they have supplied interior designers and private homes across the world.

In 1977 James & Janice Williams could not find any wooden loo seats for their Fulham bathroom shop, Sitting Pretty, so began making their own. Fifteen years later they sold the London shop and concentrated on the making of wooden loo seats from their family farm in Oxfordshire.

All their seats are handmade from solid timber grown on certified plantations and using traditional techniques and the best quality materials. Their hinges are stamped in Birmingham from their own dies, which ensure the best and strongest finish possible with total quality control. The seats are then assembled in their Oxfordshire workshop.

Tosca & Willoughby is based on the Williams’ family farm in Oxfordshire, which has informed their business practice in terms of using ecologically sound materials to produce their seats.

They make seats in a variety of timbers and finishes as well as having a bespoke painting service. They frequently paint commissions from Coats of Arms to animals on the seats and they would be pleased to take commissions.

Find out more about Tosca & Willoughby at looseats.com

Founded in the 1930s, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler is the longest established interior decorating firm in Great Britain, synonymous with the English country house aesthetic for nearly a century.

Relaxed, inviting, deeply comfortable and entirely personal, Sibyl’s pioneering approach – effortlessly mixing old with new, luxurious with humble - is today interpreted by the seven decorators, supported by an architectural interior designer.

Moving to Pimlico Road from their iconic Mayfair showroom, home to Nancy Lancaster’s Yellow Room, heralded the start of a new era for the decorators, who are as practiced at creating 21st century interiors as they are at working on historic buildings.

Commissions range from some of Britain’s most notable stately homes to modern city apartments, from ranches in America to ski chalets in Europe and tropical beach houses in the Caribbean. Boardrooms, restaurants, yachts and private jets add variety to the mix.

The client list (resolutely confidential) includes royalty and celebrities, businessmen and women, bohemians, and many in between.

For more information please see www.sibylcolefax.com

Website: https://www.timberpride.co.uk/

Telephone: 01666 504 436

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Timberpride

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timberpride/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/timberpride_3/

Years of experience, knowledge, and expertise

At Timberpride, we have been working with oak since 1995 and have built up a huge range of experience in designing and crafting just about any size and type of oak framed building. Whatever space you have in mind, we have the expertise to bring your dreams to life. As well as hand-working beautiful timbers, we are also experts in design and will use the latest software and imaging tools to demonstrate a project from every angle before we start work. Practical, durable, and beautiful, each Timberpride oak-framed building is unique and built to stand for decades if not centuries.

Homegrown, sustainable, forever there

We personally select British oak from well-managed woodlands, haul to our sawmill in the heart of the Cotswolds, and then grade and mill each saw log ready to go to the workshop for the framers to start working the timbers by hand. As we have our own sawmill, we can control every step of the process, allowing us to use each tree to its maximum efficiency and create a sustainable and durable frame. Milled from the round, each oak beam is graded ready for the carpenters.

The frames are then hand-crafted with love by our experts, using time-honoured woodworking techniques. Our artisan carpenters know how to read the grain to create the most structurally sound and beautiful oak trusses for every construction. Each piece fits with absolute precision, it’s the framer’s eye and skill which means that nothing is wasted and every component will fit the first time. The carpenters’ pride is evident in the personal witness marks they leave in the timber to create a lasting record of their work.

Handpicked and handcrafted

There is strength in tradition. The skills Timberpride uses go back centuries and have played an integral part in some of the nation’s greatest and most long-standing buildings. Each beam, truss, and joint crafted at Timberpride is equally durable, with the strength of time-honored skill and understanding at its core. Working with oak means anything is possible, from classic farmhouse style to modern contemporary minimalism. From simple oak trusses to a complete conservatory, sunroom, or oak frame garage; we can create the space and style you are dreaming of.

At Timberpride, we also design and fit glazing, doors, and windows directly onto any of our oak frames, using our air-dried cover boards to create a weathertight seal and a beautiful finish. As well as ensuring that each building is robust, we do everything we can to ensure British oak and woodland will last, working with sustainable forests and passing the skills we have learned onto the next generation. When you choose Timberpride, you can rest assured that your beautiful building is also doing amazing work to sustain an industry and a natural resource that is part of our nation’s rich heritage.

Call today for a bespoke design

If you’re passing through Tetbury in the Cotswolds, we invite you to see our artisans at work, as they expertly turn beautiful oak timbers into unique building frames. In the meantime, visit our website to see the range of buildings and projects we can help create, and how we can make oak the perfect backdrop to whatever space and style you desire.

For more information visit timberpride.co.uk or call the team on 01666 504 436

Website: https://pobhotels.com/

Telephone: 01666 824666

Address: PoB Hotels,Cowage Farm,Foxley, Wiltshire,SN16 0JH

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoBHotels/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pobhotelsuk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pobhotels/

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/pobhotels/

From castles brimming with northern charm to seafront lodges sitting along the southern coast, you’ll find PoB Hotels’ collection of the finest independent hotels dotted all over the British Isles. They only invite the very best independent hotels to join their collection – but there’s much more to it than that. Think of PoB Hotels as the key and each hotel as a door to new experiences. Each completely unique. Each hand-picked. Each the Pride of Britain.

Established in 1982 by a group of 12 passionate hoteliers, PoB Hotels today has grown to over 50 city-based, countryside and coastal locations. The essence of PoB Hotels is built on its British heritage, honouring provenance and sincere, authentic service. They love the independent nature and unique culture at each property. What ties the hotels together is not being the same but celebrating individuality with a common vision- offering guests the best experiences.

They’re all about pairing each guest with an experience that’s extraordinary and unique, so all hotels are inspected annually to ensure they live up to the PoB standard. Plus, admission of new hotels is subject to successfully passing an anonymous overnight inspection.

In 2022 PoB Hotels partnered with EarthCheck, the leading global sustainability certification programme. This step formalises an ongoing commitment to responsible travel and an effort to promote sustainable practices across its collection.

Website: www.whiteprince.co.uk

Telephone: Alice: 07841746988 Lucinda: 07795275098

Address: alice@whiteprince.co.uk, lucinda@whiteprince.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whiteprincepropertyfinders/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wppropertyfinders/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicetrehane/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucinda-prince-44b1a9116/

With over 30 years of combined experience in the area, Alice and Lucinda, bring extensive knowledge across the country property sector. Alice and Lucinda were both selling agents for numerous years working for large national Estate Agents and are also both qualified Chartered Surveyors. This experience makes them well-equipped to assist clients with the complexities that can arise with country house property transactions and ensure that clients receive tailored advice throughout the buying process.

They understand that country house transactions can be intricate and challenging, making their role crucial in managing the buying process. This support not only alleviates stress but also saves time and improves the likelihood of a successful purchase. Their extensive network allows them to often access properties before they hit the market, giving clients a competitive edge.

Alice and Lucinda are experienced in all sectors of the rural property market, from village houses through to farms and equestrian property. If you are looking to move to Wiltshire, West Berkshire, Hampshire, Vale of White Horse, The Cotswolds, or Dorset then please do get in touch with Alice or Lucinda, they can discuss further how they can help with your search.

Website: www.craigfullerproperty.co.uk

Telephone: 07767 211707

Address: Little Fosse Farm, Norton, Malmesbury, SN16 0JY

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craigfullerpropertysearch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigfuller_property_search/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-fuller-property-search

Craig Fuller is an experienced and trusted buying agent covering the Cotswolds, North Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire, South Oxfordshire, Bath and Cheltenham.

Craig is highly driven, focused and well-known in the area, with an extensive network of contacts and connections in the property sector and beyond. Craig is an effective and successful negotiator who has honed his skills in some of the most aggressive markets worldwide. His clients attest to Craig’s strong negotiating and people skills and his ability to evaluate what sort of offer to put forward. Always working on the buyer’s side, Craig prides himself on advising his clients objectively. “It’s vital to keep a cool head at all times, especially in a competitive market,” says Craig.

Finding a property in a prime market can be daunting at the best of times, and Craig offers support and guidance for those who are time-poor or buying from further afield. “I listen to my clients’ requirements. I aim to offer reassurance whilst achieving a stellar result. I guide my clients from the initial search to completion day, securing the right property that fits the requirements.”

Craig also advises his clients to consider all possible options when investing in new property. When moving from an urban area, it’s tempting to replicate something similar on a larger scale, but Craig encourages clients to consider all options. “There are some superb prime and super prime properties available that have, until recently, been in the same hands for several generations. These stunning homes offer an incoming purchaser the chance to be creative against a solid backdrop of, for example, a period gem within its own parkland.”

With world-class schooling available in the locality, good transport links to London and the Midlands, and the easy proximity to the stunning coastlines of both Cornwall and Pembrokeshire, a move to the Cotswolds is a profoundly attractive option. Craig firmly believes in knowing the lie of the land - not just in terms of geography but also in local contacts and proven track records. “We work with all local professionals, from estate agents to solicitors, and have a good rapport with them. It is these working relationships that turn the cogs and ease the transactions. Reliability and transparency are fundamental in our line of work.”

For more information please visit www.craigfullerproperty.co.uk or call 07767 211707.

Website: https://www.prime-purchase.com

Telephone: 07500 818272

Address: Suite 5, 121 Sloane Street, London, SW1X 9BW

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primepurchase_buyingagents/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prime-purchase/?viewAsMember=true

Here to help you find your next home

As one of the leading buying agencies in the UK, it’s our job to find you the right property – while making the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. We specialise in sourcing truly exceptional homes, offering expert insight and impartial advice every step of the way. All to give you the best chance of finding somewhere you love.

Our team will dedicate themselves to finding exactly what you are looking for. Collectively, we’re one of the most knowledgeable teams in the market with over 250 years of combined experience. So you can relax and enjoy the journey, knowing you’re in very safe hands.

How we’ll work with you

Prime Purchase is owned by Savills, one of the world’s leading real estate companies – which means we benefit from industry-leading research and expertise, but work as an entirely independent agency. We have separate staff, offices, and systems, yet enjoy all the professional backing you would expect from a FTSE-250 company.

If you do choose to work with us, we will build a trusted relationship so we can support you at every turn. In order to do so, we will endeavour to understand exactly what you want from a property – and build a team around you. From trusted lawyers to talented interior designers, you’ll benefit from the relationships we have built with the best in the business.

Why choose us?

Access to off-market properties – when the best properties come up for sale, they often don’t hit the public market, and that’s where we come in. Through our network and connections, we can offer you full access to both the public and private markets. We’ll make sure you get a first look and position you as the preferred buyer.

Save time on details – avoid a diary full of viewings or phone calls from multiple agents. Our experts carefully assess each option, presenting you with the highest-quality properties. Years of experience in our local markets will ensure we uncover anything that may affect value and the enjoyment of your new home. We dedicate time to the finer details, so you don’t have to.

Rely on transparent, trustworthy advice – you can count on us to give you honest advice at every stage of the process – clear, considered and always with your best interests at heart. Unlike agents motivated by commission, our goal is to find the right home for you, however long it takes – so you should never feel pressured or pushed into making a decision.

Deal with one dedicated specialist – you’ll get the expertise of our whole team via a single point of contact. They will share meticulously researched details, organise any viewings and guide you through each stage. Because our agents are dedicated to buying, rather than selling or managing property, our focus will always be on finding you the right home.

Enjoy every step of the way – there’s less paperwork, pressure and wasted time when you work with us. We protect you from the stress of buying, so you can enjoy the excitement of finding your new home.

Wherever we’re searching, we always have one goal in mind: finding the right home for you.

Website: www.domusholmes.co.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 7734 115 098

Address: 39 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2LS

X: https://x.com/DomusHolmes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/domusholmes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domus_holmes_property_finder/

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Domus Holmes Property Finder was established 10 years ago by Jerome Lartaud and his wife Claire, a residential property solicitor. As independent buying agents they exclusively represent buyers and only act in the buyer’s best interests.

With an extensive network of property contacts, they have assisted numerous clients in acquiring a diverse range of both residential and commercial properties in Bristol, Bath, the South West of England (Somerset, Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds, Wiltshire, Devon and Dorset) as well as in France (Paris, Lyon, Provence).

“From a family home in Bristol or Bath, a countryside cottage in a rural village in the Cotswolds or Wiltshire, a grand Georgian manor house set in acres of land in Gloucestershire or a townhouse in Cheltenham, we have the knowledge and experience to assist a diverse range of private clients with any aspects of their property search and acquisition. 

We can also assist private clients with the sourcing of prime properties in France (apartments and townhouses, seaside villas or large country estates).”

Domus Holmes Property Finder provide a full end-to-end property search and acquisition service covering every aspect of the residential property buying process: from strategy discussion and consultation through to search, shortlist, due diligence, inspection and viewings, negotiation and conveyancing management through to completion.

“We grant our clients exclusive access to the best properties before anyone else. Nearly 60% of the properties we buy for our clients are purchased before they even appeared on the open market. 

“Over many years, we have built up excellent personal relationships with our contacts which, combined with our reputation, means we often hear about properties long before they become available to the open market.

If you would like to discuss your next property purchase in the South West of England, feel free to contact Jerome for a no-obligation conversation on +44 (0) 7734 115 098 or jerome@domusholmes.co.uk

Website: www.ludgrove.net/

Telephone: 0118 978 9881

Address: LudgroveWokinghamBerkshire RG40 3HB

X: https://x.com/_Ludgrove

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LudgroveSchool?locale=en_GB

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ludgrove_school/

Ludgrove Prep School may be small in size but has big ambitions for its 190 boys. Ludgrovians stand out from the crowd because they are full of purpose and brimming with questioning enthusiasm. As one of a handful of all boys’ prep schools that still provides full, fortnightly boarding, the boys get a huge amount out of their day, surrounded by friends, knowing that at weekends everyone is either in School, enjoying its 130 acres of grounds in rural Berkshire, or at home for an exeat. No boy feels left out or left behind.

About us

The continuity of care and education that a boarding school can offer is invaluable in providing a stable platform for a child’s development. First class academic education goes without saying but, in addition, a first-class boarding school is a particularly warm and caring environment where children’s confidence and character are developed, they are valued as individuals and learn to live in a community.

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At Ludgrove, we are lucky to have outstanding team of vastly experienced staff – teachers, resident matrons, school nurses and boarding house parents - who get to know the boys very well and understand what makes each individual ‘tick’. Ludgrove specialises in getting to know boys as individuals, encouraging them to try new challenges and reach their potential, personally and academically.

Calling on our 130 years of experience, we ensure the ‘spotlight’ is on every child so that their confidence and character are nurtured at every opportunity. This close relationship enables the School to guide each to their most suitable senior school destination. Every year, approximately 70% of the Year 8 cohort go to Eton, Harrow, Radley and Winchester with several securing scholarships each year. We are proud of our legacy that friendships are made for life, boys can be boys and our unique spirit allows them to thrive in an atmosphere of happiness, high achievement, good manners and kindness.

In a Nutshell

- Fortnightly boarding prep school for boys aged 8-13 years old

- £2.5m Exploration Centre opened in 2021 providing one of the finest facilities for Science, Coding, Art, CDT and Ceramics in a prep school anywhere in the country

- A wealth of playing fields, cricket nets, squash and Fives courts, AstroTurf, 9-hole golf course and a 20m indoor swimming pool

- Vibrant Music Department delivering over 240 1:1 and LAMDA lessons a week

- 350-seat Theatre

- Exceptional pastoral care head by Mrs Barber, the Headmaster’s wife

- Delicious food cooked on-site using fresh local ingredients

- 130 acre rural setting just 35 minutes drive to Heathrow with local main line connections to Waterloo and Paddington stations

- On exeat weekends the School runs a bus service to Fulham Football Club

- Individual visits by appointment with the Registrar

Website: www.cotswoldbuyingagent.co.uk

Email: sam@cotswoldbuyingagent.co.uk

Address: Foxbury Hill Farm House, Cirencester, GL7 7AR

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cotswoldbuyingagent/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cotswold_buying_agent

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-scott-white-607a9522

Samantha Scott-White is a highly experienced property finder and buying agent who operates primarily in the Cotswolds, covering areas such as Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. She founded Cotswold Buying Agent in 2018 after working in the property industry since 1999.

Working in London, and later moving to The Cotswolds, Samantha transitioned from representing sellers, to exclusively helping buyers navigate the complexities of purchasing country homes.

Her business focuses not only finding properties, but also providing a highly attentive bespoke service. Samantha prides herself on maintaining close communication with her clients, ensuring their expectations are met throughout the buying process. Her clients often appreciate her ability to access off market properties and secure competitive transactions.

Her company offers a unique approach, representing only a small number of clients to maintain a highly personalised service. Samantha is deeply committed to building trusting relationships with her clients many of which return for repeat business or refer others, which she considers a key measure of her success.

In addition to managing the buying process, she emphasizes making the experience as stress-free as possible by handling details such as coordinating with solicitors and surveyors. Samantha’s clients benefit from her extensive local knowledge and professional network, helping them secure properties in a competitive market.

Website: www.ian-norrington.com

Telephone: 01747 840200

Email: sales@ian-norrington.com

Address: Holly Cottage, Coombe Street, Pen Selwood, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 8NF

Ian Norrington specialises in beautifully handcrafted seal engraved signet rings and engraved cuff links. He is a liveryman of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. A detailed coloured brochure with prices is available on request.

In addition to gold signet rings, Ian is also able to supply signet rings set with a semi-precious stones, such as bloodstone (dark green with red flecks), carnelian (dark red), onyx (black) or lapis lazuli (blue). A first-class engraving service is on offer as well.

Signet rings are generally seal engraved whereby a family crest or coat of arms is engraved on the surface of the ring in the negative — the wax impression comes out in the positive. They can also be surface engraved in the positive with initials and dates engraved under the head. Surface engraving is ideal for cufflinks.

Ian can supply gold oval (18 x 13 millimetre) chain-linked cufflinks in either 18 carat or 9 carat in yellow gold, white gold and silver. He is happy to quote for engraved, or un-engraved, eighteen or nine carat gold cufflinks and can advise on re-engraving old or worn signet rings.

Please telephone or email for a detailed full colour brochure and price list

A 15% reader discount is available for readers of Country Life.

www.ian-norrington.com

Website: https://www.emmakirbydesign.co.uk/

Telephone: 01367 810575

Email: enquiries@emmakirbydesign.co.uk

Address: The Coach House Studio, Home Farm, Grafton, Oxfordshire, OX18 2RY

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmakirbydesign/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/emmakirbydesign/

Emma Kirby Design offers a comprehensive range of services covering interior design, architecture, planning, and construction. Our highly experienced team, led by Emma Kirby (Design Director) and Michael Ergatoudis (Development Director), is dedicated to creating unique and refined spaces tailored to our clients' individual requirements.

Emma creates beautiful, inspiring and inviting interiors by sourcing and blending the very best of antique, vintage and modern design as well as developing her own bespoke pieces. 

The layering of texture, colour and lighting deliver perfectly balanced rooms where form and function work seamlessly together giving the client a space in which they can feel comfortable and relaxed.

Our extensive project portfolio includes schemes where EKD has assisted clients from initial site appraisal through to complete design and build, and those where clients have sought a tailored service covering a single discipline such as interior design and decoration, planning, or construction and project management.

Successfully completed projects range from private homes (new build, renovation, and conversion) to hospitality schemes including hotels, restaurants, public houses, and private members' clubs.

A particular specialism is work on character and heritage properties, and a significant proportion of projects involve alterations and improvements to Grade II and II* listed buildings requiring both planning permission and listed building consent.

For further information please visit https://www.emmakirbydesign.co.uk/

Website: https://www.hollandgreen.co.uk/

Telephone: 020 7770 9977

Email: hello@hollandgreen.co.uk

Address: London: 91 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0EF Oxfordshire: The Old Grammar School, Church Road, Thame OX9 3AJ Cotswolds: Cirencester Park, Tetbury Road, Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 6JJ

X: https://x.com/HollandGreen_

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The HollandGreen Practice

HollandGreen designs and delivers exceptional homes and gardens. They are unique in offering an integrated, end-to-end service across architecture, interior design and landscape design from the same Studio.

Specialists in listed homes and country estates, equestrian centres, spas, contemporary new builds and urban townhouses, they deliver a bespoke response to their clients’ needs, drawing inspiration from the context of the landscape to create individually-conceived homes to the highest standard of quality and detail. 

HollandGreen craft spaces which inspire, nurture and uplift, connecting their clients to nature and leaving an enduring legacy.

Founded in 2010 by Ben Holland and Stephen Green, HollandGreen are a team of over 40 individuals, delivering commissions across the UK and internationally. They work in close partnership with Historic England and have extensive experience of the planning system to guide and oversee their clients’ projects.

HollandGreen - our company & brand film from Architecture, Design, Landscapes on Vimeo.

Specialists in Heritage Homes 

HollandGreen's design process encompasses a delicate balance - preserving the rich heritage, inherent uniqueness and structural integrity of historic homes, whilst integrating thoughtful and unobtrusive modern functionality. 

They are adept at introducing new architectural design to create an exciting contrast clearly defining old and new, which does not detract from the original building but rather creates its next chapter and future legacy. They look to create a natural flow of spaces – introducing more open family living, creating more of a connection to the garden, and bringing more light into historically dark rooms.

HollandGreen's team advocate the reuse of original materials whenever feasible, minimising waste, preserving historical authenticity, and sourcing durable and sustainable elements so their schemes are high quality, maintainable, and timeless in design. They carry out detailed research into the history of each property, liaising with heritage consultants, archaeologists, and local planning teams, and frequently visiting properties with clients before they have purchased to assess what could be possible from a design, planning and budgetary perspective. 

The HollandGreen Approach

Holistic Design: Their Architects, Interior Designers and Landscape Designers collaborate in the same Studio, producing beautifully integrated designs where everything works together and is carefully considered from the outset, resulting in exceptional spaces.

Client Experience: Encouraging design exploration within a supportive and friendly environment, they collaborate with their clients to create imaginative and individual concepts as part of a rewarding design journey.

Technical Delivery: They stand apart in technical design, transforming ambitious concepts and design visions into meticulously crafted construction packages for contractors, ensuring projects run smoothly, stay within budget, and are executed with the utmost attention to detail.

In-House Project Management: Their specialist Project Managers coordinate all aspects of each project, from the design stages through to build and installation, liaising with external consultants and contractors to ensure costs are closely managed, and any delays or disruptions which can arise on site are resolved quickly.

Responsible Design 

HollandGreen are committed to making a positive contribution to carbon capture and storage within the residential property sector. They are part of the RIBA 2030 Sustainable Outcomes initiative, delivering projects that reduce energy consumption and are ‘zero carbon’ and sharing their research with industry partners. They support the Charity Woodland Heritage campaigning for the creation and management of productive UK woodlands, delivering carbon sequestration and research into woodland health and biodiversity.

Little Black Book

HollandGreen work with the best in the industry to make sure their clients’ projects are delivered successfully, on time and to budget, from surveyors, structural engineers, planning consultants to smart home and security providers, archaeologists, arboriculturists and ecologists, to name a few.

Recent Award Wins 

Winner - Domestic Design Project of the Year, Prolandscaper Sustainability & Biodiversity Awards 2023

UK Winner - Landscape Architecture, UK Property Awards 2022-23

House of the Year Finalist, British Homes Awards 2022

Garden Design of the Year Finalist, British Homes Awards 2022

National Finalist and Regional Winner, Best Individual New Home Regional, Local Authority Building Control Excellence Awards 2023

Top 100 Architects and Designers, Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2023

Website: https://www.camerongardens.co.uk/

Telephone: 020 8969 3399

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerongardens

In the words of Country Life's Top 100, ‘Alasdair Cameron’s passion for plants is evident in the lush oases he creates’. This passion flows throughout the team.

Cameron specialises in crafting, immersive spaces that inspire, delight and bring new perspective; it is an award-winning, fully-integrated garden design, build and maintenance company. 

With over 30 years’ experience Cameron comprises an inspired and professional, results-driven team that thrive on creating completely bespoke landscapes at home and abroad.

From Country Estate to city refuge or ground-breaking commercial space, the Cameron studio, led by Alasdair Cameron, will bring artistry and discipline to your project.

Ethos

We believe in collaboration, with our clients, nature, the seasons and the landscape, whether that is country or city, drawing in the greater vista or framing a particular view.

We learn about our clients’ lifestyle and listen to what they really want from their garden, never dictating a particular design style but instead fashioning a truly individual plan. 

The Cameron team has a deep knowledge of horticulture and innovative edge all our gardens bestow atmosphere and calm, offering spaces to enjoy, recharge and interact with.

Unique selling points

We are all passionate and dedicated to making the design and build of your garden an enjoyable process; to creating fantastic spaces that you will love to spend time in; to crafting exciting planting pallets and sourcing the very best materials. 

We look to break new ground whilst always employing tried and tested design principles and considering the environment.

For more information, see www.camerongardens.co.uk

Website: https://www.rosannabossom.co.uk/

Telephone: 02034889744

Address: Studio 64, Pall Mall Deposit, London, W10 6BL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosannabossomltd/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rosannabossomltd/_created/

Founded in 2014, Rosanna Bossom Ltd is a London-based interior design studio specialising in both residential and commercial projects, with a portfolio spanning townhouses, country piles, restaurants and members’ clubs.

Bringing together a wealth of experience and connections with specialist suppliers and tradesmen, our team works from conception to completion to deliver a bespoke service for clients.

Ethos

Seeking to champion the best of British production and craftsmanship where possible, we love to blend old with new to create unique interiors that stand the test of time. We enjoy working closely with clients and adjust each project to suit their needs and desired level of involvement, resulting in a finished result that sparks joy for all.

Unique Selling Point

Clients are always drawn to the studio’s ability to pair colours, patterns and textures in an unexpected way that feels both chic and playful. Comfort and practicality are key, with the signature Rosanna Bossom Ltd interior seeking to feel approachable and lived-in as well as beautiful and visually inspiring. Each project is unique, but with certain recognisable threads running through them.

With a rich heritage spanning over 65 years and four generations, RW Armstrong has earned a reputation as a building company committed to delivering the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship, where tradition meets innovation in construction excellence.

We offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to construction projects of any scale. Working closely with both clients and professional teams, we consistently deliver high-end residential projects with exceptional outcomes, from restoring listed properties and renovating period homes to constructing contemporary new builds.

When you choose RW Armstrong you can be sure that our team will manage every aspect of your property project with meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to quality, from initial concepts through to the final finishing touches.

For further details visit RWArmstrong.co.uk