'If the present popularity of the long-despised station would have struck our fathers and grandfathers as surprising, more surprises should be expected in the future.'
Burghley House in Lincolnshire — the home of Miranda and Orlando Rock — is one of the very greatest houses in Britain. This year marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of William Cecil, a statesman of defining importance in the nation’s history. John Goodall considers the Tudor development of the great baronial seat he created for himself, while Jeremy Musson looks at the 20th and 21st century story of the house. All photographs by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library.
Ightham Mote is one of the most beautiful medieval houses in Britain. The tale of its murky origins and recent restoration is a fascinating one.
Roger White unravels the development of Holcombe Court in Devon, while John Goodall looks at the restoration of this magnificent Tudor house under the ownership of Nigel Wiggins. Photographs by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library.
Clive Aslet meets the chairman of the Georgian Group, and hears why the 18th century was best.
A research project by architects Matthew Barnett Howland and Dido Milne created Cork House in Eton, Berkshire, an experimental home of great style and interest. It also presents a challenge to the architectural world, as John Goodall explains. Photographs by Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library.
In 1917, the newly restored Chequers was gifted to the nation as the country seat of Britain’s Prime Ministers. John Goodall turns to a personal diary to explain how this came about; photographs by Paul Highnam.
It was within sight of Stirling Castle that two of the most famous Scottish victories over the English were won. John Goodall takes a look at this impressive building and its history; all photographs by Paul Barker for the Country Life Picture Library.
Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire, is the country seat of Britain’s Prime Ministers. By courtesy of the Chequers Trust, John Goodall paid a visit to find out more, and uses a diary to explain the circumstances of its magnificent Edwardian transformation. Photographs by Paul Highnam.
Medieval bridges were marvels of engineering, given the technology available at the time — and nowhere more so than in the case of London Bridge, where deep, tidal flows made construction incredibly challenging. David Harrison explains.
London's bridges are integral to an appreciation of the character of the city, as well as being great feats of architecture and engineering. Jack Watkins takes a look.
We take a look at Chequers is now, and as it was 103 years ago, when Country Life visited following the decision by its previous owner to donate the country house to the nation.
Columbine Hall is a medieval moated manor house, lovingly re-imagined as the beau idéal of an English country home. Jeremy Musson reports on this remarkable achievement, with photographs by Paul Highnam.
'Where is the University?' is the most common tourist's question in Oxford. The answer is rather complicated.
In all of its 2,000-year history, it seems unlikely that the City of London has ever stood so silent as it does presently. Can we learn from the quiet, asks Architectural Editor John Goodall, who also took the photographs on this page.
Sir John Soane despaired of his children to such an extent that he left his worldly goods to the nation, which became the Central London museum which bears his name.
A look at the career of Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, one of the great British architects of the 20th century, and a man whose career had marked impact on Country Life.
John Goodall looks at the remarkable history of the 900-year-old Llandaff Cathedral, from its early beginnings to the trailblazing post-Second World War restoration. Photographs taken by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library.
Clough Williams-Ellis is famous as the architect of Portmeirion, the almost-fantastical Welsh village which won lasting fame as the set for the iconic 1960s TV show The Prisoner. But he took his first steps in learning his craft with a different house not far away, one which had been neglected for centuries.
To coincide with the publication of a definitive new study of Britain’s most famous retail destination, Andrew Saint looks at the history of London’s Oxford Street.
