Once a poor man’s shelter, now a chocolate-box status symbol, thatched cottages are topped with straw and sedge, reed and heather: local materials laid by local men. Nick Hammond goes up in the world to find out more; photographs by Joe Bailey.
The subtle remodelling and extension of an older cottage in the Cotswolds style by architect Robert Franklin is an exemplary essay in the Arts-and-Crafts spirit. Jeremy Musson reports, with photographs by Paul Highnam.
‘Every element serves a purpose,’ says Sandra Coppin of the Modern property she updated for her own home, repurposing material along the way so that nothing went to waste.
‘I learnt that the best you can do is not too much,' Tom Croft tells Clive Aslet as he discusses how he adapted his own home for his family's use.
The work of updating Nikolas Pevsner and Ian Nairn's magnum opus on the buildings of England continues with a volume focusing on West Sussex. John Goodall takes a look.
The waterside retreat of the Earl of Rosebery & Midlothian — a celebrated Victorian politician, sportsman, antiquarian and bibliophile — has been restored and brought back to life. John Martin Robinson reports on this remarkable survival; photographs by Paul Highnam.
The combined demand for a concert hall and a set of law courts in the burgeoning Atlantic port of Liverpool during the 1840s brought into being one of the greatest public buildings of the Victorian age.
Tower Bridge celebrates its 125th birthday on June 30. But how does it work? And why was it built that way in the first place?
New discoveries in the archives at Belvoir are fleshing out the history of this outstanding castle. John Goodall delves into the fresh evidence for the development of Belvoir from the Norman Conquest to the eve of its wholesale reconstruction from 1800.
Higham Hall in Suffolk is the home of Quinlan Terry, the favourite architect of HRH The Prince of Wales and a leading contemporary exponent of Classicism. Clive Aslet reports; photographs by Paul Highnam.
An outstanding, but little-known treasure faces an uncertain future. Marcus Binney looks at the notable history of this house and issues a call for help.
The search for privacy and peace encouraged Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to create an Italianate seaside villa. It offers an unparalleled insight into their domestic life and private interests, as John Goodall explains.
William Morris's London home was just as remarkable as his country houses, as Clive Aslet discovered during a visit to the new exhibition at Kelmscott House.
Avington Park, Hampshire — the home of Sarah and Charlie Bullen — is a home with rather astonishing history that’s superbly set in the valley of the River Itchen. John Goodall finds out more; photographs by Will Pryce.
The Hall in Bradford-on-Avon, Somerset, is a fine Jacobean house that's one of the finest surviving examples of its type. Nicholas Cooper explains its architectural and historical importance, and how it became home to some remarkable mechanical minds. Photographs by Paul Highnam for the Country Life Picture Library.
John Martin Robinson is your guide to a place where peeling away one layer only ever seems to reveal several more.
The devastating fire at Notre Dame in Paris has illustrated the huge affection in which this cathedral is held in Paris and across the world. It is an exceptional building that deserves its high reputation – John Goodall explains why.
This year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edwin Lutyens, one of Britain’s most celebrated architects. John Goodall revisits his life, personality and work.
The restoration of this once-forgotten 19th-century mausoleum in Surrey is 'heroic', says John Goodall. Photography by Justin Paget for the Country Life Picture Library.
