Architecture

How Bampton Castle became Ham Court: The manor house-turned-castle, and its return to life as an Oxfordshire house

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: Inside the walls of 'One of England’s most romantic follies'

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.

Harewell Hall, Wherwell, Hampshire: 'It is extremely unusual to be able to enjoy a contemporary building of such variety'

Margam Park and Castle: A landscape and buildings with an incredible tale spanning millennia

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.

The Royal Albert Hall: A 19th-century marvel that 'has lost none of its power to amaze'

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.

A Cotswold house 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

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.

The stone-by-stone project to rescue the cloisters at Iford Manor: 'We've saved it from collapse'

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.

Beckside House, Lancashire: A monument to the preservation of Georgian architecture

The best country house architects in Britain

Country Life has once again delved into its to update the list of the finest architects in Britain — an indispensable guide if you're considering serious work on your home.

Ferniehirst Castle: The castle designed specifically for left-handed people

Rebuilt in 1598, this delightful Borders castle was revived by bursts of sensitive restoration in the 19th and 20th centuries, as John Martin Robinson explains. Photographs by Paul Highnam.

Belle Isle, Co Fermanagh: The ups and downs of a Northern 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.