Taitlands, in Stainforth, North Yorkshire, is a country house that became a youth hostel — but which has now been transformed back, thanks to the work of Emma and Martin Sharp. John Martin Robinson tells the tale of an exemplary restoration project has created a modern family home from a fine neo-Grecian house. Photographs by Paul Highnam.
What is it that makes the buildings of the seaside so distinct? Kathryn Ferry looks at the vibrant architecture of our coastal towns and the way our perception of it has been shaped by early-20th-century appreciation.
In the second of two articles marking the centenary of the establishment of the Northern Ireland Parliament, John Goodall looks at the Art Deco seat created to accommodate it. Photographs by Paul Highnam
A century ago, the Stormont estate was chosen as the seat of the government of Northern Ireland. In the first of two articles, John Goodall looks at the history of this decision and the castle now at the centre of politics. Photographs by Paul Highnam.
St Paul's may not have the London skyline to itself as it once did, yet Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece still holds its own in a century full of glass and steel. Jack Watkins takes a look at this extraordinary building and its chief creator.
The ideal form of the Villa Capra, ‘La Rotonda’, in Italy has fascinated British patrons and architects since the 18th century. William Aslet considers how they have experimented and developed its ideas.
Jeremy Musson looks at the exemplary revival of Elton House and its outstanding collections on the eve of its handover to the next generation, while John Goodall looks at the history and changing face of the buildings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Photographs by Will Pryce for Country Life.
The 1890s restoration of the idyllic Tudor manor house Athelhampton, Dorset — now the home of Giles Keaton — helped kindle an enthusiasm for England’s ancient houses and a new style of formal garden, as John Goodall explains. Photographs by Paul Highnam.
In the wake of the re-opening of museums, John Goodall looks at the architecture of the National Gallery in London — with its interior photographed by Will Pryce for Country Life during lockdown.
Our remaining windmills are unashamedly romantic slices of old England. Last spring, those still working went into overdrive to meet local demand for flour, reports Eleanor Doughty.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the foundation of Newnham College and the arrival of women scholars in Cambridge, Kathryn Ferry examines the distinctive style of the college buildings. Photographs by Will Pryce.
In the early 18th century, Wilton House in Wiltshire underwent improvement at the hands of the 9th Earl of Pembroke, an enthusiastic amateur architect. For a new book on Wilton — to this day the seat of the Earl of Pembroke — John Martin Robinson assesses his remarkable legacy. Photography by Will Pryce and Simon Upton.
Bampton Castle was an ambitious castle in the Cotswolds area that languished in obscurity after it was left unfinished in the early 14th century — though several hundred years later it became Ham Court, Oxfordshire, and is now the home of Matthew Rice. Edward Impey investigates the remarkable story of this building and its recent revival; photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
The Summer House at Warnford Park is an 18th-century bath house in a quiet corner of Hampshire that has found a new life as an idyllic weekend retreat, discovers Cosmo Brockway.
Margam Park, in Neath Port Talbot, has made a series of extraordinary transitions: it’s a former Cistercian abbey that became a Tudor and Restoration house; in the late 18th century it saw the building of a magnificent orangery, and then in the 1830s the creation of an outstanding Picturesque house. David Robinson tells its tale; photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
This week, the Royal Albert Hall celebrates its 150th anniversary. With photographs taken during the unnatural quiet of lockdown, John Goodall looks at the remarkable story behind the creation of this world-famous venue. Photographs by Will Pryce.
Walcot, Oxfordshire — the home of Hugo and Silka Rittson Thomas — has been revived by its creative owners, who have complemented its blend of old and new architecture with a striking collection of modern art, as Jeremy Musson reveals. Photographs by Hugo Rittson Thomas.
One of Wiltshire's prettiest houses, Iford Manor, has been recognised by Historic Houses for its fabulous restoration of the medieval-style cloisters. Annunciata Elwes tells the tale.
