Architecture

Belle Isle, Co Fermanagh: The ups and downs of a Norther Irish gem

An 18th-century beauty spot that briefly fell into complete neglect has been restored. John Goodall tells the remarkable story of this estate and its modern revival.

How libraries merged with living rooms to become the ultimate in Regency country house chic

By the early 19th century, the library-living room had become an essential element of the country house. John Martin Robinson looks at the development of this space and the wild enthusiasm for books that encouraged it.

How pineapple mania gripped Britain

From the Americas to the roof of country-house follies, Matthew Dennison traces the journey of the pineapple, one of Georgian Britain’s most coveted fruits.

Leighton Hall: The Gothic remodelling of a Georgian house for a Lancashire furniture-making dynasty

A Georgian house remodelled in the Gothic style became a seat of the Gillows family, famous for their furniture-making business, in 1824. John Martin Robinson looks at the remarkable story of the house and its collections. Photographs by Paul Highnam.

The John Rylands Library: How one of Britain's great libraries was created by a forward-thinking widow

The widow of a successful industrialist turned her inherited fortune towards the creation of one of Britain’s greatest libraries: The John Rylands Library, Manchester. Steven Brindle explains the story of her foundation and admires the library’s architectural splendour, with photographs by Will Pryce.

The restoration of Sheringham House, Humphry Repton's 'darling child' and 'most favourite' work

Jeremy Musson looks at the restoration of Sheringham Hall in Norfolk, the home of Paul Doyle and Gergely Battha-Pajor, looking at the outstanding Regency house, its garden, and its celebrated Repton landscape. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.

Sheringham Hall: How Repton created a 'masterpiece in the synthesis of architecture and landscape'

Sheringham Hall in Norfolk, the home of Paul Doyle and Gergely Battha-Pajor, is a house and landscape that constitutes one of the most important expressions of Regency Picturesque theory to survive in England. Jeremy Musson takes a look at its creation, with photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.

Rosebery House: A former Prime Minister's retreat in the heart of Midlothian

Rosebery House, Midlothian is today the home of Lord Dalmeny — but this late-Georgian shooting lodge was once the favoured retreat of the Victorian Prime Minister, Lord Rosebery. It escaped ambitious remodelling at his hands and has recently been the object of sympathetic restoration, as John Martin Robinson reports; photographs by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library.

The tale of Ireland's 'House Burning Mania' of 1919-1923

Between 1919 and 1923, in the War of Independence and the subsequent civil war, nearly 300 country houses were burned in Ireland. To mark the centenary of the events, Terence Dooley re-appraises the motives behind this destruction.

Country Life's 10 best architecture stories of 2020, from crumbling masterpieces to the deserted streets of lockdown London

We take a look back at Country Life's most-viewed architecture articles of the past 12 months.

Carolside, a beautiful and mysterious house tucked away in The Borders, inspired by a Georgian masterpiece

Carolside, the home of Mr and Mrs Anthony Foyle, is an enigmatic house in the Scottish Borders that yields up unexpected connections with America and shines a light on 18th-century architectural practice. Roger White explains more; photographs by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library.

Templeton House's escape from demolition and oblivion to become an incredible rarity: a country estate within the M25

A house that might have vanished beneath London’s spreading suburbs has been lovingly returned from institutional use and forms the heart of an estate within the capital. John Goodall reports on Templeton House, Roehampton, the home of David and Laura Rich-Jones. Photographs by Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library.

The houses of Sherlock Holmes: How Arthur Conan-Doyle's architectural savvy shaped literature's greatest sleuth

Sherlock Holmes had an eye for architectural detail, an interest derived from his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. Jeremy Musson looks at how it emerges in the books, with the help of specially commissioned drawings by Matthew Rice for the Country Life Picture Library.

Chettle House: Almost a ruin 200 years ago; a triumph today — 'Everything about the house is novel and ingenious'

Chettle House, Dorset, is the home of Tom and Rosamond Sweet-Escott, whose major restoration project saw them win a Georgian Group award in 2019. The work revived a magnificent house inspired by the architecture of Baroque Rome, as John Martin Robinson reports. Photographs by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library.

Loyd Grossman: How obelisks became the ultimate war trophies, and carved out a niche as the marker of a great city

The first obelisk to be erected in Europe was a trophy of war. Loyd Grossman considers how these ancient monuments came to be understood and became the mark of every great city.

Shanks House: A model restoration of a magnificent Georgian home

The exemplary restoration of this magnificent house has reintegrated a complex building into a single and coherent modern home, as John Martin Robinson explains. Photographs by Paul Highnam.

The Old Convent in East Grinstead: The religious building that paved the way for the Arts-and-Crafts Movement

The Old Convent in East Grinstead, West Sussex, is the most architecturally ambitious Anglo-Catholic convent in Victorian Britain, a building which anticipates forms and ideas of the Arts-and-Crafts Movement. Kathryn Ferry reports. Photographs by Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library.

Gwrych Castle: The astonishing fantasy castle saved by the dreams and bravery of a 12-year-old boy

A campaign to save Gwrych Castle was started decades ago by a 12-year-old, now Dr Mark Baker, and the end of his knight's quest looks closer than ever.

Stubton Hall's magnificent transformation 'from a gloomy shell into a dream country house'

Stubton Hall in Lincolnshire is a distinguished Regency country house which makes its first appearance in Country Life following a transformative restoration. Jeremy Musson tells more; photographs by Paul Highnam.

Hampton Court's Baroque era reinvention: The transformation of the threshold of power

Hampton Court's association with Henry VIII takes the focus away from its Baroque elements, but they're worthy of attention argues John Goodall. Photographs by Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library.