Norfolk is a county sadly rich in "lost" country houses; this account and gazetteer offer a comprehensive account of them. Winner of the general non-fiction category in the East Anglian Book Awards 2016. The country houses lost from the landscape since the late nineteenth century exercise a peculiar grip on the English imagination, seeming to symbolise the passing of a world of taste and elegance, of stability and deference: a world destroyed by modernity. This important new book argues that most previous studies of the subject have been characterised by nostalgia and vagueness, and by a tendency to exaggerate the scale of the destruction and simplify its causes. It presents a balanced, systematic analysis of country house losses in Norfolk, discussing the scale and chronology of destruction. The authors argue that the loss of great houses was not an entirely new development of the twentieth century, they explain the varied reasons why houses were abandoned and destroyed, and they explore the archaeological traces which these places, their gardens and parks, have left in the modern landscape. Their arguments are illuminated by a full and lavishly-illustrated gazetteer. This book, the results of many years of fieldwork and documentary research, will be essential reading for all those interested in the history of the country house, in the development of the post-medieval landscape, and in the archaeology and history of the county of Norfolk. Tom Williamson is Professor of Landscape History at the University of East Anglia; Ivan Ringwood is an independent historical researcher; Sarah Spooner is Lecturer in Landscape History at the University of East Anglia.

The fascinating story of the evolution of the country house in Britain, from its Roman precursors to the present "An eclectic scholarly account, tracing the evolution of the country house from the hunting lodges of the Middle Ages to the modern villas of today. . . . Mr. Aslet is an elegant writer with a wry sense of humor."-Moira Hodgson, Wall Street Journal "[Aslet] doesn't just tell us who built what, and for whom, and in what style, but about the prevailing economic circumstances and fashions of each period."-Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph The Story of the Country House is an authoritative and vivid account of the British country house, exploring how they have evolved with the changing political and economic landscape. Clive Aslet reveals the captivating stories behind individual houses, their architects, and occupants, and paints a vivid picture of the wider context in which the country house in Britain flourished and subsequently fell into decline before enjoying a renaissance in the twenty-first century. The genesis, style, and purpose of architectural masterpieces such as Hardwick Hall, Hatfield House, and Chatsworth are explored, alongside the numerous country houses lost to war and economic decline. We also meet a cavalcade of characters, owners with all their dynastic obsessions and diverse sources of wealth, and architects such as Inigo Jones, Sir John Vanbrugh, Robert Adam, Sir John Soane and A.W.N. Pugin, who dazzled or in some cases outraged their contemporaries. The Story of the Country House takes a fresh look at this enduringly popular building type, exploring why it continues to hold such fascination for us today.

In 1622 Rubens published a splendid volume on Genoese Renaissance architecture, with precise engravings depicting facades and plans of a dozen villas and palaces. In publishing famous examples of 'modern' architecture, Rubens intended to trace the development of architecture in his own country and all over Europe. He believed that the true principles of good building, both aesthetically and functionally, were discovered by the Ancients and rediscovered in Renaissance Italy. In publishing his book at the height of his fame, Rubens succeeded in presenting himself not only as a great painter but also as a connoisseur and authoritative teacher in the field of architecture. This two-volume part of the Corpus Rubenianum explains the history of Rubens's book, analyses in detail his comments and interpretations of the original plans and reproduces all drawings.

Wilton Park is a unique phenomenon: part of the Britih Government but academically independent; well-known among policy makers, but with a low public profile; created to help foster democracy in post-war Germany, but now with global reach; a vehicle for international dialogue, never one for British propaganda.

Why did the British Government create such an institution in 1946? What impact did it have? How did it evolve from a training centre for German prisoners of war to today's international policy forum?

In Victory, Magnanimity, in Peace, Goodwill tells the story for the first time. It describes how it was Winston Churchill who proposed Wilton Park's post-war role. But its founding father was a German: Heinz Koeppler, a historian who had fled from Hitler to Magdalen College, Oxford, and had worked in Britain's wartime Political Intelligence Department. After the war, he fought as many battles as during it, to resisit Government cuts and to maintain Wilton Park's academic independence as a centre of frank, searching and off-the-record debate. Koeppler's legacy is today's thriving institution.

'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.

This book, first published in 1973, gives a vivid picture of British-Indian social life from the eighteenth century to Independence, as well as of the houses themselves. The Government Houses were not only buildings on a palatial scale, but were also a background to a way of life that was as full of contrasts as the Raj itself. The author peoples the houses with some of the men and women who lived in them during the course of their history, and in doing so provides a chapter of social history which has not been written before.

The British Archaeological Association's 2013 conference was devoted to the study of Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster. It also embraced Westminster School, which was founded at the Reformation in the Abbey precinct. Collectively, these institutions occupy a remarkable assemblage of medieval and later buildings, most of which are well documented. Although the Association had held a conference at Westminster in 1902, this was the first time that the internationally important complex of historic buildings was examined holistically, and the papers published here cover a wide range of subject matter. Westminster came into existence in the later Anglo-Saxon period, and by the mid-11th century, when Edward the Confessor's great new abbey was built, it was a major royal centre two miles south-west of the City of London. Within a century or so, it had become the principal seat of government in England, and this series of twenty-eight papers covers new research on the topography, buildings, art-history, architecture and archaeology of Westminster's two great establishments - Abbey and Palace. Part I begins with studies of the topography of the area, an account of its Roman-period finds and an historiographical overview of the archaeology of the Abbey. Edward the Confessor's enigmatic church plan is discussed and the evidence for later Romanesque structures is assembled for the first time. Five papers examine aspects of Henry III's vast new Abbey church and its decoration. A further four cover aspects of the later medieval period, coronation, and Sir George Gilbert Scott's impact as the Abbey's greatest Surveyor of the Fabric. A pair of papers examines the development of the northern precinct of the Abbey, around St Margaret's Church, and the remarkable buildings of Westminster School, created within the remains of the monastery in the 17th and 18th centuries. Part II part deals with the Palace of Westminster and its wider topography between the late 11th century and the devastating fire of 1834 that largely destroyed the medieval palace. William Rufus's enormous hall and its famous roofs are completely reassessed, and comparisons discussed between this structure and the great hall at Caen. Other essays reconsider Henry III's palace, St Stephen's chapel, the king's great chamber (the 'Painted Chamber') and the enigmatic Jewel Tower. The final papers examine the meeting places of Parliament and the living accommodation of the MPs who attended it, the topography of the Palace between the Reformation and the fire of 1834, and the building of the New Palace which is better known today as the Houses of Parliament.

The British Archaeological Association's 2013 conference was devoted to the study of Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster. It also embraced Westminster School, which was founded at the Reformation in the Abbey precinct. Collectively, these institutions occupy a remarkable assemblage of medieval and later buildings, most of which are well documented. Although the Association had held a conference at Westminster in 1902, this was the first time that the internationally important complex of historic buildings was examined holistically, and the papers published here cover a wide range of subject matter. Westminster came into existence in the later Anglo-Saxon period, and by the mid-11th century, when Edward the Confessor's great new abbey was built, it was a major royal centre two miles south-west of the City of London. Within a century or so, it had become the principal seat of government in England, and this series of twenty-eight papers covers new research on the topography, buildings, art-history, architecture and archaeology of Westminster's two great establishments - Abbey and Palace. Part I begins with studies of the topography of the area, an account of its Roman-period finds and an historiographical overview of the archaeology of the Abbey. Edward the Confessor's enigmatic church plan is discussed and the evidence for later Romanesque structures is assembled for the first time. Five papers examine aspects of Henry III's vast new Abbey church and its decoration. A further four cover aspects of the later medieval period, coronation, and Sir George Gilbert Scott's impact as the Abbey's greatest Surveyor of the Fabric. A pair of papers examines the development of the northern precinct of the Abbey, around St Margaret's Church, and the remarkable buildings of Westminster School, created within the remains of the monastery in the 17th and 18th centuries. Part II part deals with the Palace of Westminster and its wider topography between the late 11th century and the devastating fire of 1834 that largely destroyed the medieval palace. William Rufus's enormous hall and its famous roofs are completely reassessed, and comparisons discussed between this structure and the great hall at Caen. Other essays reconsider Henry III's palace, St Stephen's chapel, the king's great chamber (the 'Painted Chamber') and the enigmatic Jewel Tower. The final papers examine the meeting places of Parliament and the living accommodation of the MPs who attended it, the topography of the Palace between the Reformation and the fire of 1834, and the building of the New Palace which is better known today as the Houses of Parliament.

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.

This book provides a reassessment of the theory of magnificence in light of the related social virtue of splendour. Author James Lindow highlights how magnificence, when applied to private palaces, extended beyond the exterior to include the interior as a series of splendid spaces where virtuous expenditure could and should be displayed. Examining the fifteenth-century Florentine palazzo from a new perspective, Lindow's groundbreaking study considers these buildings comprehensively as complete entities, from the exterior through to the interior. This book highlights the ways in which classical theory and Renaissance practice intersected in quattrocento Florence. Using unpublished inventories, private documents and surviving domestic objects, The Renaissance Palace in Florence offers a more nuanced understanding of the early modern urban palace.

Elizabeth of Bohemia, known to some as the Winter Queen and to others as the Queen of Hearts, was one of those rare figures whose personality still fascinates us across the centuries. The daughter of James I, she combined charm and humour with courage in the face of adversity and a steely determination to regain her patrimony after she and her husband were driven from the throne of Bohemia. Among the many men who championed Elizabeth's sorrowful fortunes, Lord Craven was the most faithful. Brave, wealthy and supremely generous, this latter-day knight errant threw everything he could into his efforts to recapture the Palatinate for his heroine, risking his life and spending enormous sums in financing a military campaign. After all schemes had come to naught he came to live at Elizabeth's threadbare court in the Hague, supporting her financially and befriending her talented but unruly family. His estates, confiscated by the Commonwealth, were returned at the Restoration, and he busied himself in planning fine houses for Elizabeth's use on her return to England in 1661.Sadly she died the same year but Ashdown House in Berkshire still remains as a poignant memorial to Craven's single-minded devotion.

Britain has a wealth of royal palaces, some owned by the Crown as part of the country's assets, while others have been bought by members of the Royal Family themselves as personal residences. Each property has a fascinating story behind it, as well as its own unique place in history. This beautifully illustrated book looks at some of the UK's best-loved royal homes, current and former, their buildings, gardens, treasures and, of course, their inhabitants past and present. Discover how these homes have evolved over the centuries and how they are being adapted for the future and the demands of modern life. Written by seasoned Pitkin royal author Halima Sadat, this easily digestible volume makes a wonderful companion for anyone visiting these impressive buildings and their beautiful gardens. Entries include: Hampton Court, Osborne House, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, Highgrove, Sandringham and Balmoral.

Part of the prestigious academic book series Documenting the Image, this is a fascinating survey illustrated by extremely rare photographs of the burned architectural and landscape complex known as the Rape of the Summer Palace.
In 1860, Western armies brought ruin to the treasured seat of the Qing emperors near Beijing. One hundred and fifty images have been collected to date as a support for an extensive study of the building of the palaces and their subsequent destruction.
This book is a rigourous analysis of the work and experiences of the European photographers, both amateur and professional, working in Beijing during this period, and, as such, becomes an account of the development of photography itself. Offering a fascinating glimpse into 19th-Century China, the book gives an historical overview of the political situation.

A fresh perspective on British history from award-winning broadcaster Fatima Manji Why was there a Turkish mosque adorning Britain's most famous botanic garden in the eighteenth century? How did a pair of Persian-inscribed cannon end up in rural Wales? And who is the Moroccan man depicted in a long-forgotten portrait hanging in a west London stately home? Throughout Britain's museums, civic buildings and stately homes, relics can be found that reveal the diversity of pre-twentieth-century Britain and expose the misconceptions around modern immigration narratives. In her journey across Britain exploring cultural landmarks, Fatima Manji searches for a richer and more honest story of a nation struggling with identity and the legacy of empire. 'A timely, brilliant and very brave book' Jerry Brotton, author of This Orient Isle

Drawing from decades of work, travel, and research in Russia, Robert Alexander has created a stunning coloring book with every detail rooted in the rich, colorful history that was the glory of Imperial Russia. Depicting the grand world of Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov-from their imperial palaces, costume balls and gowns, to jewels and Faberge objets d'art, and the magical meadows and forests of their empire-Vanished Splendor is a treat for the eyes and a delight for history buffs. Infused with Robert Alexander's deep knowledge and love of Russian culture and art and detailed by Christopher Bohnet's intricate skills, the coloring book captures in soul and spirit the fascinating era of the Romanovs, where nothing was done until it was overdone. It is a coloring book like no other-and all it takes to bring that magical time to life is the stroke of a colored pencil.

Chevening stands in a magnifi cent park below the wooded escarpment of the North Downs in Kent. It has a history dating back around 800 years, but the house we see today is almost entirely the creation of seven generations of the Stanhope family, building on the original Inigo Jones house of 1630. For 250 years the Stanhopes served their country as soldiers and statesmen, and at Chevening as patrons of architecture and art. This new guide highlights the contributions of the Earls and Countesses Stanhope to the building, furniture, pictures, gardens and landscape of Chevening. It also gives a short account of the family in the wider world in order to set their creations in context. The decoration and architectural features of each of the rooms - from the Entrance Hall with its spectacular swirling staircase of c. 1721 to the sumptuous Tapestry Room with its rare Berlin tapestries woven by Huguenot craftsmen in 1708 - are described and illustrated, and signifi cant and unusual works of art highlighted, such as important portraits by Allan Ramsay, Thomas Gainsborough, and Sir Thomas Lawrence. The Estate consists of some 3,000 acres, and the gardens include a lake, maze, parterre and a double hexagonal walled kitchen garden. The history of the garden is explored, from the extensive landscaping in the formal style by the 1st and 2nd Earls in the early 18th century, to the naturalistic style created in 1775-78 - much of the character of which survives today - to the re-formalizing in the 19th century, with the creation of the 'Italian' gardens, a maze and hedged allees. The wonderful restoration of recent decades and the replanting to the designs of Elizabeth Banks is celebrated with new photography. Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Chevening Act coming into eff ect with the death of the last Earl Stanhop and the 300th anniversary of his family's acquisition of Chevening Estate.

The story of the Stuart dynasty is a breathless soap opera played out in just a hundred years in an array of buildings that span Europe from Scotland, via Denmark, Holland and Spain to England. Life in the court of the House of Stuart has been shrouded in mystery: the first half of the century overshadowed by the fall and execution of Charles I, the second half in the complete collapse of the House itself. Lost to time is the extraordinary contribution the Stuarts made to the fabric of sovereignty. Every palace they built, painting they commissioned, or artwork they acquired was a direct reflection of the lives that they led and the way that they thought. Palaces of Revolution explores this rich history in graphic detail, giving a unique insight into the lives of this famous dynasty. It takes us from Royston and Newmarket, where James I appropriated most of the town centre as a sort of rough-and-ready royal housing estate, to the steamy Turkish baths at Whitehall where Charles II seduced his mistresses. We see the intimate private lives of the monarchs, presented through the buildings in which they lived and the objects they commissioned, creating an entirely new narrative of the Stuart century. Palaces of Revolution traces this extraordinary period across the places and palaces on which the action played out, giving us a thrilling new history of this remarkable dynasty.

Chawton House is famous today as the home of Jane Austen's brother Edward, who was adopted by a wealthy relative, Thomas Knight, and inherited his Hampshire estate. Edward offered the former bailiff's cottage close to the great house to his mother, who lived there with her unmarried daughters Jane and Cassandra. The house is now a study centre and library, for women's writing especially, but when this book was published in 1911 the building was still the Knight family home. Montagu Knight, the grandson of Edward, supplied material from the archives of the manor, while the book was largely written by his cousin William Austen Leigh, the son of Jane's nephew and memorialist. It covers the history of the manor from the Norman Conquest to the death of the second Edward in 1879, and, apart from the Austen connection, is a fascinating illustrated history of a typical English parish.

This book comes from ancient times to the Wars of the Roses and 1485. Britain's magnificent architectural history and heritage explored in an expert visual guide. It comes with more than 200 glorious photographs, fine-art paintings, reconstructions and maps. It is a comprehensive introduction and guide to over 90 of Britain's great medieval castles, palaces and manor houses, and the kings, queens and nobles who lived there. You can discover the beauty of World Heritage sites at William the Conqueror's Tower of London, Edward I's castles at Caernarvon and Conway, and the Palace of Westminster. Location maps and an A-Z property listing make it easy to find every building described in this excellent book. This lavish visual history traces and records Britain's finest secular buildings in the years up to 1485. It describes developments in method and style from ancient earthworks and Roman forts to splendid Norman and medieval castles and fortified manor houses with their great tower keeps and concentric groundplans. In this celebration of Britain's historic houses and national treasures, fact boxes focus on architectural features or the lives of famous inhabitants. Beautifully illustrated with over 200 photographs, drawings and maps, this will prove a valuable reference book for anyone who wishes to learn more about the castles, palaces and stately homes of Britain in the medieval period.

In 1406 a young Venetian nobleman, Marin Contarini, married into another ancient patrician clan. His wife's family owned an old palace on the Grand Canal. Contarini demolished the old palace and, in 1421, he began to build the Ca d'Oro, his 'House of Gold'. This 1993 book tells the history of the building of the palace over a period of nearly twenty years. After a general introduction to the city of Venice at the beginning of the quattrocento, Dr Goy discusses the background to the building of the palace. There follows a discussion of the building industry in Venice in this flourishing period, and of the functions of the three chief building crafts. In the latter half of the study, the whole building process is recreated in detail; the relationships between Contarini and his craftsmen are analysed, as is the pivotal role of Contarini himself, the architect manque whose monument this was to become.

The architectural facade addresses and enhances the space of the city, while displaying, or dissembling, interior arrangements. In this book, Charles Burroughs tracks the emergence of the facade in late medieval Florence and then follows the sharply diverging reactions of Renaissance architects to new demands and possibilities for representation in both residential and governmental contexts. Understanding the facade as an assemblage of elements of diverse character and origin, Burroughs explores the wide range of formal solutions available to architects and patrons. In the absence of explicit reflection on the facade in Renaissance architectural discourse, Burroughs notes the theoretical implications of certain celebrated designs, implying mediation on the nature of architecture itself and the society it serves and represents, as well as on the relationship between nature and culture.

Our contemporary condition, governed by the abstract apparatus of the capitalist market, demands a critical reading of the distribution, ownership, and use of common resources such as land. This is especially true in Britain with its long history of privatisation stemming from land enclosure. The latest research campaign of Laboratory Basel (laba), a satellite studio of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, investigated the English manor house and how it can serve as a testing ground to reassess Britain's complex and ongoing relationship with the countryside. The south-west of England, the most rural region of one of the more densely populated countries in Europe, reflects all the absurdities of a globalised country under pressure to develop economically, physically and environmentally. Highly protected landscapes, both natural and composed, form the backdrop to historic seats of political power and wealth, whilst sites of intense modern productivity are neatly concealed behind natural veils. Manor Lessons: Commons Revisited, the concluding volume of laba's Teaching and Research in Architecture series, explores the lessons that can be learned from the compound history of the Manorial System, whose forgotten feudalistic origins were once rooted in the idea of the land, not as private property but as common ground.

Whitehall Palace was the principal residence of the British monarchy from 1529 to 1698, when fire destroyed the majority of the complex. As such, it holds a key place in the architectural, political, and social history of England. This book is the first to discuss the architecture and archaeology of this Influential building.

Simon Thurley traces the development of the palace from its origins, using previously unpublished archaeological evidence to establish that York Place, as it was then called, was already one of the largest and most important residences in London before it became a royal palace. Thurley reconstructs the various phases of the palace's development, showing how successive kings and queens altered the vast mass of Whitehall to meet their individual needs. He also charts the plans of monarchs to replace the Tudor building with one that might have rivaled the great baroque palaces of Europe, and he reveals the reasons they failed to achieve this. Throughout, the book is illustrated with specially commissioned plans and diagrams of Whitehall as well as unique photographs taken while the palace was being excavated in the 1930s.