Edward Jenner is perhaps the world's most famous doctor. He developed a vaccination for smallpox beginning in 1796, long before the world knew about bacteria and viruses. He has been described as `the man who saved more lives than anyone else'. He bought The Chantry at Berkeley in 1785 and modified it to make a home fit for his beloved wife, Catherine. This book is the result of a three-year investigation that set out to discover the house that Jenner prepared for Catherine. It traces the origin of the house, which was built in 1707, and the many changes throughout the next 300 years. It turns out that the site has a history going back to Anglo-Saxon times. Edward Jenner lived there for only thirty-six years, but the house has been much changed since. The investigation set out to define the house that Edward Jenner lived in, separating it from the original and many changes afterwards. The book includes a great deal of information and stories about the people involved, including Edward Jenner and his family and estate. It also includes the inventory of Jenner's goods in 1823 and profiles of the internal plasterwork, which may be of interest to restorers and historians.

Lavishly illustrated account of forty magnificent country houses, destroyed in the last century. The Lost Country Houses of Suffolk, well-researched and written and copiously illustrated, will help the reader to imagine the county's landscape refurnished with the many elegant mansions which are now sadly lost. JOHN BLATCHLY During the twentieth century some forty of Suffolk's finest country houses vanished forever, a few by fire, but more frequently through demolition, either because uneconomic to run, or through the deterioration oftheir fabric. This book relates their tragic stories, with lavish use of engravings, images and pictures to bring to life what has now gone forever. It offers an account of each house [its history, its family, its architect], with a description of the buildings, and particular information on how it came to be destroyed. The houses are put into their wider context by an introductory section, covering the economic and social circumstances which caused difficulties for the owners of country houses at the time, and comparing the loss in Suffolk with losses in England as a whole. Houses covered: Acton Place, Assington Hall, Barking Hall, Barton Hall, Boulge Hall, Bramford Hall, Branches Park, Bredfield House, Brome Hall, Campsea Ashe High House, Carlton Hall, Cavenham Hall, Chediston Hall, Downham Hall, Drinkstone Park, Easton Park, Edwardstone Hall, Flixton Hall, Fornham Hall, Hardwick House, HenhamHall, Hobland Hall, Holton Hall, Hunston Hall, Livermere Hall, The Manor House Mildenhall, Moulton Paddocks, Oakley Park, Ousden Hall, The Red House Ipswich, Redgrave Hall, Rendlesham Hall, Rougham Hall, Rushbrooke Hall, Stoke Park, Sudbourne Hall, Tendring Hall, Thorington Hall, Thornham Hall, Ufford Place.

This is an amazing book about Piedmont in Northern Italy! Guide book, history book, cookery book, anthology of short stories - this book is none of those, yet all of those. It is a story of how a passion was gratified, a dream fulfilled. The rest somehow just follows naturally. It is a recollection of how an ambition to own a house in northern Italy came to fruition. From the first sinking feelings in the stomach at seeing an apparent ruin to the transformation to an elegant summer residence - and all the joys and nightmares it entailed. And all the people that were encountered in the process. The Bjorn family did what many non-Italians dream about but very few dare undertake. They bought an old ruin in Piedmont and completely restored it. This book tells their story and offers good advice and tips for how to make that dream come true. Jesper Remo and Erik Bjorn have produced a classic combination of stunning photography and compelling human stories about an area of Italy nestling in the foothills of the Alps. Stories that are haunting in their authenticity, the printed equivalent of a documentary film. The book is 304 pages of which approx. half is beautiful pictures of the landscape, the people, the food and the wine in the area. If you love Italy - and perhaps even daydream about it - you will love this book. If you're planning to go to Piedmont - this book is a must! The book was initially published in Denmark where it has become a bestseller!

The start of a brand new series from bestselling author Fay Keenan.Life in London has lost its sparkle for Stella Simpson. So when she gets the opportunity to escape to the country for a year, it seems too good a chance to miss. In the beautiful Somerset countryside, the majestic Roseford Hall has been painstakingly restored and is now ready for its grand opening. And as the writer in residence, Stella gets to see it all - from the rowdy resident peacocks, the hidden secrets of the Hall, to befriending the Lord of the Manor himself. At the other end of Roseford, single father, Chris Charlton is facing his own refurbishment woes. Rocked by a tragedy two years previously, his plans for crumbling Victorian wreck Halstead House are as stuck as he is. As Roseford Hall prepares to welcome a new era, and Halstead House's future is under threat, Chris and Stella find themselves drawn to one another. Can they finally leave their pasts behind, and will Chris and Stella be able to embrace their new beginnings together - or apart... Escape to the beautiful, idyllic English countryside with Fay Keenan. Romantic, feel-good and utterly charming, this is perfect for all fans of Julie Houston, Cathy Bramley and Holly Martin. What authors and readers say about Fay Keenan's novels: 'This novel has such a gorgeous setting. A lovely light read and the perfect book to pack in your suitcase and take on holiday. Recommended.' Della Galton 'A gorgeous rural romance full of warmth and charm.' Victoria Connelly 'Guaranteed to put a spring in your step. Feel-good, frisky and great fun with a hearty dash of romance and intrigue.' Julie Houston 'Moving, funny, thoughtful and romantic. Bring on the next one!' Jenny Kane 'This is a lovely and heart-warming story, that has a serious side hidden within the romance.' Amazon reviewer 'It was a wonderful book, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.' Amazon reviewer 'I was so engrossed in the storyline, which is thoroughly heart-warming, that I read the entire book without stopping. I always enjoy Keenan's books and am looking forward to the next one!' Amazon reviewer

With a foreword by Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey who concludes that: `This is the world that Ruth Binney has brought so wonderfully to life in her book'. Inside the country house, what exactly were the duties of the master's valet and the lady's maid? How did these fit into the daily routine? And what were the protocols for visitors? The answers to these, and many more questions, are revealed in this entertaining and intimate guide to the self-contained world of the country house. Here you'll learn the rules of etiquette essential both upstairs and down -for both residents and visitors -marvel at the intricacies of housekeeping, and enter a bygone age of hunts, house parties and grand balls. All these aspects of country house life, and many more, are introduced here through the contemporary maxims used to instruct the members of the household and their guests, from running a large kitchen to entertaining royalty. Each is brought to life with both practical detail and direct, compelling quotes and illustrations from period manuals and advice books, giving every entry a totally authentic feel and `voice'. Rounding off the book is an informative list of houses to visit, stressing the features that relate directly to the descriptions included in the book.

This captivating book, fully revised and updated and featuring more NT houses than ever before, is a guide to some of the greatest architectural treasures of Britain, encompassing both interior and exterior design.

This new edition is fully revised and updated and includes entries for new properties including: Acorn Bank, Claife Viewing Station, Cushendun, Cwmdu, Fen Cottage, The Firs (birthplace of Edward Elgar), Hawker's Hut, Lizard Wireless Station, Totternhoe Knolls and Trelissick.

The houses covered include spectacular mansions such as Petworth House and Waddesdon Manor, and more lowly dwellings such as the Birmingham Back to Backs and estate villages like Blaise Hamlet, near Bristol. In addition to houses, the book also covers fascinating buildings as diverse as churches, windmills, dovecotes, castles, follies, barns and even pubs.

The book also acts as an overview of the country's architectural history, with every period covered, from the medieval stronghold of Bodiam Castle to the clean-lined Modernism of The Homewood.

Teeming with stories of the people who lived and worked in these buildings: wealthy collectors (Charles Wade at Snowshill), captains of industry (William Armstrong at Cragside), prime ministers (Winston Churchill at Chartwell) and pop stars (John Lennon at Mendips).

Written in evocative, imaginative prose and illustrated with glorious images from the National Trust's photographic library, this book is an essential guide to the built heritage of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This provocative volume stimulates debate about lost 'heritage' by examining the history of the hundreds of great houses demolished in Britain and Ireland in the twentieth century. Seven lively essays debate our understanding of what is meant by loss and how it relates to popular conceptions of the great house.

Building or rebuilding their houses was one of the main concerns of the English nobility and gentry, some might say their greatest achievement. This is the first book to look at the building of country houses as a whole. Creating Paradise shows why owners embarked on building programmes, often following the Grand Tour or excursions around other houses in England; where they looked for architectural inspiration and assistance; and how the building work was actually done. It deals not only with great houses, including Holkham and Castle Howard, but also the diversity of smaller ones, such as Felbrigg and Dyrham, and shows the cost not only of building but of decorating and furnishing houses and of making their gardens. Creating Paradise is an important and original contribution to its subject and a highly readable account of the attitude of the English ruling class to its most important possession.

On 18 July 1754, William Crichton Dalrymple, the 5th Earl of Dumfries, laid the foundation stone of Dumfries House. It was the first country house built by Robert, John and James Adam - the brothers whose architectural practice was to become the most famous in Britain.Dumfries House lies within its historic landscape in rolling farmland to the west of Cumnock. Completed in 1760, the house was adapted and altered over the years - most significantly and sympathetically by Robert Weir Schultz, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. Dumfries House is not only significant architecturally, it also contains one of the most spectacular collections of eighteenth century furniture in Britain, with works by Thomas Chippendale, and pieces by three renowned Edinburgh furniture-makers, Francis Brodie, Alexander Peter and William Mathie. In June 2007, HRH The Prince of Wales headed a consortium of charities and heritage bodies to buy the house, its contents and its estate, with the express aim of preserving it in its entirety and making it more accessible to the public. In this landmark book, author Simon Green draws on previously unpublished documents from the extensive archives of the Bute family, who lived in the house from the early nineteenth century until the death of Lady Bute in 1993, along with a wealth of photographs, plans and drawings from the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Exploring the people and the ideas behind a unique building, Dumfries House is the story of the survival of a treasured eighteenth century family residence - at once the 'homliest' of homes and 'a great undertaking, more bold than wise'.

'The Chateau de Versailles is a real photographic challenge because it is so huge: there is an infinite number of possible points of view and they are never the same, depending on the time of day, the weather or the season... There are always new photos to take, to contemplate, to dream of. It is a demanding place that stimulates creativity and encourages you to look at it again and again' Thomas Garnier Versailles is one of the most photographed places in the world, but only four people have the privilege of being the Palace's official photographers. They have uniquely unfettered access to the secrets that lie within, outside and beneath this enormous domain where they spend their days - and sometimes their nights. Now, for the first time, they open their personal albums to offer a wealth of impressions and responses. Two hundred and fifty previously unpublished photographs reveal a plethora of outstanding artworks, the private apartments of Louis XIV, MarieAntoinette and Madame de Pompadour, magnificent galleries, the delightful Orangerie and more, all accompanied by texts that provide a lively introduction to daily life at the Chateau and its momentous history. This is a monumental volume on a scale that matches the grandeur of the worldrenowned Palace it celebrates.

Scholarly and innovative with visually stunning line drawings and photographs, this volume provides readers with a compelling record of the unbroken pattern of reciprocal use and exchange between the countryside and the walled city of Florence, from the thirteenth century up to the present day. Defying the traditional and idealized interpretation of the Florentine Villa, the author: analyzes the economic factors that powered the investment in and building of country houses and estates from the early Renaissance times onwards, as well as the ideology and the architectural and literary models that promoted the Florentine villa explores the area between Florence and Sesto in its history, morphology and representation looks at the villas existing in the area. A contribution to the protection of the important cultural heritage of the landscape in the Florentine area and of its historic buildings, villas and gardens, this study makes engaging reading, not only for scholars and students in architecture, landscape design and social history, but also for the well informed reader interested in art, architecture and gardens.

'Somerville knows more about wooden barn construction than almost anyone alive.'-The Telegraph 'A joyful reminder of why nature, being outside, being together and creating beauty is so good for the soul.'-Kate Humble, broadcaster and author of A Year of Living Simply 'For all our advances, it's hard to deny the modern world brings with it new ills of disconnection and disenfranchisement, but here in Barn Club they've found their cure.'-Barn the Spoon, master craftsman and author of Spon Nature meets traditional craft in this celebration of the elm tree, beautiful buildings and community spirit. Barn Club calls on us to discover our landscapes more intimately and to explore the joys of making beautiful things by hand, together. When renowned craftsman Robert Somerville moved to Hertfordshire, he discovered an unexpected landscape rich with wildlife and elm trees. Nestled within London's commuter belt, this wooded farmland inspired Somerville, a lifelong woodworker, to revive the ancient tradition of hand-raising barns. Barn Club follows the building of Carley Barn over the course of one year. Volunteers from all walks of life joined Barn Club, inspired to learn this ancient skill of building elm barns by hand, at its own quiet pace and in the company of others, while using timber from the local woods. The tale of the elm tree in its landscape is central to Barn Club. Its natural history, historic importance and remarkable survival make for a fascinating story. This is a tale of forgotten trees, a local landscape and an ancient craft. This book includes sixteen pages of colour photographs, and black and white line drawings of techniques and traditional timber frame barns feature throughout.

Grand, awe-inspiring and beautiful, the `Big House' is widely viewed as a jewel in the Irish landscape today. Despite this, the relationship between the country house and the state has long been complex and nuanced. Houses such as Castletown, Mote Park, and Shanbally Castle have faced sometimes insurmountable threats to their survival since the founding of the Free State. Against a backdrop of civil war and social upheaval, the fledging government of 1922 was unwilling to accept the burdensome gifts of these extravagant but ineffectual `white elephants' at a time when much of the population lived in poverty. From the 1920s to the 1970s, hundreds of former landlords' residences - often seen as symbols of British oppression - were sold on, demolished or simply abandoned to ruin. Despite the significant change that took place in terms of the perception of these houses as part of the national heritage, the relationship between the state post-independence and the country house has not been examined in detail to date. Analysing previously unused government records, White Elephants illustrates the complex attitudes of politicians such as Erskine Childers, Sean Moylan and Charles J. Haughey to the country house and the crucial role of senior civil servants in determining their fates. The actions of the Office of Public Works and the Land Commission are here analysed and weighed, while the effects of land division and the alienation of the Anglo-Irish class are seen through the often-revealing lens of Department of the Taoiseach and Department of Finance files. These previously unmined sources uncover the more personal history and attitudes behind decisions for demolition or salvation. Drawing on case studies of significant Irish houses including Bishopscourt, Derrynane, Dunsandle, Hazelwood, Killarney, Muckross and Russborough, White Elephants tracks the compelling development of the Irish country house from burden to heritage site, running in parallel with the development of Ireland from a fledgling state to taking its place in the international community of the EEC in 1973.