Batman is a cultural icon. Created by Bob Kane in 1939, the Caped Crusader is one of the few super heroes that actually poses no super powers. He's mortal, flawed, and still able to overcome any circumstance. He's an All-American hero and of course is living the American Dream of home ownership.
We’ve toured the British Isles to bring you 25 of Britain’s best stately homes, including Blenheim Palace and Highclere Castle
Rainthorpe Hall is an exceptional Elizabethan manor house that features magnificent stained glass and panelling.
Discover Norfolk with our inspiring blogs. Whether you're interested in culture and arts, history and heritage, outdoors and wildlife or if you're looking
HBO’s latest miniseries is poised to become the new most-talked-about British period drama
Narford Hall in Norfolk - UK aerial
An unexploded bomb, a jewel encrusted chalice, a coconut carved like a human head and moth eaten teddy bears have been found in a remarkable collection of clutter hoarded by four generations of an aristrocratic family.
Built by Great Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, Houghton was passed to the Cholmondeley family through marriage at the end of the eighteenth century.
Hardwick Hall, cut away Elizabethan Architecture The large majority of houses built in the Elizabethan period were still timber framed, or built from local stone, as in the earlier Tudor period. I won’t dwell on timber framed building for long as I gave plenty of examples in the previous post, but I do want to show you a few late Tudor timber framed buildings. This is a rare survivor in London, a timber framed row of buildings in Holborn. Many buildings such as this were lost in the Great Fire of 1666. This is The Merchant’s House in Plymouth. It is probably early 17th century, but very much in the same style as other late Tudor buildings. I think the most noticeable thing with these two buildings is the size of the windows. Glass was still very expensive in Elizabethan England, but personal wealth had grown for many people, and they were keen to show it! It is the manor houses and Great Houses that are most notable in the Elizabethan period. As the wealth of farmers and land owners increased, they abandoned their cold, draughty timber framed houses and settled into grander houses of brick or stone; these houses also grew bigger, and had more private rooms. The old Great Halls were becoming little more than a place of entry; servants were being kept separate from the family by this stage. Barrington Court is a fine example of an Elizabethan manor house. It was started in 1514, but altered later. It has a noticeable symmetry, something of the Renaissance that had begun to creep into buildings in England. Barrington Court is also built to an E shape. This is often believed to be a symbol of loyalty to Queen Elizabeth, but is probably more a happy coincidence; many manor houses were built to this E shaped arrangement, but there were also H shaped houses, so there may well be some element of truth in the patriotic theory. Melford Hall in Suffolk has many Tudor Characteristics, and Queen Elizabeth was entertained there in 1578. The canny Queen didn’t build herself any great new palaces, as her Father Henry had, she preferred to pay visits to her wealthy courtiers, who spent huge sums of money providing accommodation suitable for a queen and her entourage which could run into hundreds! (Makes the likes of J-Lo’s entourage seem like small fry!) she might stay for months too, it was a very expensive honour to accommodate the queen! Red brick was starting to become less popular in the Great Houses of the Elizabethan England. These were the houses of courtiers, often known as Prodigy Houses, and elements of classicism were making their way onto these grand buildings, though not in any strict classical style. Works by Serlio had been published in Europe between 1537 and 1575, and books were brought to England, but seem to have been used more like pattern books than full architectural guides. Longleat House, built by Sir John Thynne between 1572-1580, has string coursing and there are columns by the front door, the façade is also symmetrical. It isn’t strictly a classical building, but the elements are starting to appear here. It is also built of stone. This is the Tixall Gatehouse in Staffordshire, built C1780 by Sir Walter Aston, The house which stood behind it was from a much earlier period, and has since been demolished (as has its successor built in 1780!). The façade is symmetrical, and if you look closely you can see it follows the correct classical orders, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, and has a classical balustrade, but is again not a strictly classical building. Wollaton Park was built by Sir Francis Willoughby between 1580- 1588. It is highly decorated, and uses some classical elements; it’s a rather eclectic building overall. Burghley House was built by William Cecil (Lord Burghley) between 1555 and 1587. The great west front seen here (built in the 1580’s) also has string coursing and some other classical elements. The ogee shaped turret roofs were also popular in Elizabethan buildings as you might have already noticed! Heydon Hall in Norfolk, built between 1581 and 1584, is a more traditional style Elizabethan house, but the classical influence can still be seen in the pediments above the windows. Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire is perhaps most famous for its large windows. Built by Bess of Hardwick (Countess of Shrewsbury) to replace a slightly older house (the ruins still lay next to the new hall) from 1593 to 1597. The famous rhyme ‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’ is well deserved, the windows are huge, and make a bold statement of the Countess’s wealth. There are columns and string courses used here, but it still isn’t a strict classical building. Work on building Kirby Hall in Northamptonshire was begun late in Elizabeth’s reign. The shaped gables (strictly speaking only called Dutch gables if topped with a pediment) are another popular feature of Elizabethan buildings, and this building has plenty! There is another example of the classical orders in use, if not in the pure classical style to which they are usually accustomed! (Kirby Hall is a partial ruin in case you were wondering why there are windows with out a roof above!) Lyvden New Bield in Northamptonshire is another ruin, or rather an uncompleted building, begun in 1595 and abandoned in 1605. Montacute House in Somerset (C1598) is a fine example of Elizabethan architecture; Classical elements, symmetry, E shaped frontage, large windows and shaped gables. Westwood House in Worcestershire (C1600) is another example of those Elizabethan features; shaped gables; classical elements and large windows. Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire (C1600) is the last house I am going to show you. It uses symmetry and classical elements, but its openwork balustrade and bay window and protruding tower behind mean it still isn’t a classical building. It would be a few more years, and within the reign of a very different Royal, that the first truly classical building landed in England! But more of that another time!!
The seventeen-bedroom manor house Broughton Hall near Skipton, North Yorkshire and just south of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and can be rented by holidaymakers for around £7,000 a night.
Normanby Hall Country Park is a beautiful 300 acre estate set in the heart of North Lincolnshire. Open to the public every day of the year, the park offers the perfect backdrop to your day out. The Hall and the Farming Museum are only open throughout the summer months, but with award winning gardens, ample wildlife, exciting events, or just a relaxing environment to enjoy a day out, there is plenty to keep you entertained all year round. All year, 9am to dusk.
Explore Andy Watson1's 1290 photos on Flickr!
A new book offers glimpses into some of the world’s most elegant private manors
Ranked #3 of 33 attractions in Bakewell. Been here too? Add it to your map!
Tacolneston Hall - moated mansion in Norfolk dating from 1700. Home of the Boileau baronets since 1838. www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF9951-Tacoln...
The entrance to Eyford Park, Gloucestershire, designed by Guy Dawber and built 1911 to 1912. Photographed by Paul Barker, published 2004. Country Life Picture Library. Concluding - at least for now - the series of a dozen consecutive posts with a connection to the quintessential English country house Daylesford (starting with Pat "Bubbles" Rothermere here from April, 2014), Devoted Readers are asked to consider the house known as Eyford Park. Country Life magazine named the private residence "England's Favorite House" in a 2011 contest of over more than 150 properties judged by Emma Bridgewater, Annabel Astor, Charlie Brooks and "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes. Eyford Park, the entrance (north) front, photographed by Paul Barker, published 2004. Country Life Picture Library. Although not the grandest or even the most architecturally significant, Eyford Park has "that elusive quality, a homely [editor's note: yes, this is correctly used; see comments] warmth that simply makes you want to live there. This is a testament to the skills of the family that has owned it for three generations," the Country Life committee said in a press release. Sir Cyril Kleinwort with Lady Kleinwort bought the estate in December, 1972, with their giving up nearby Sezincote to one of their daughters. Later, Eyford Park was bequeathed to their daughter Charlotte Herber-Percy who lived in the main house until about 2010 when she passed it on to her daughter Serena Prest. Mrs. Heber-Percy then moved to the converted stable block. Eyford Park, aerial view from the south. English Heritage, View Finder. Local legend has it that John Milton began writing Paradise Lost in the first house on the property, built as a retreat in the 1640s. A second house was built, this time in the location as the present house, as an Italianate mansion in the 1870s by the Cheetham family. Although the lodge still remains, that house was demolished by John Cheetham to build the current house, commissioned in 1911 from architect Guy Dawber. A portrait of the architect Sir Guy Dawber by William Orpen, 1930, from the RIBA collection via BBC Public Catalog Foundation. Guy Dawber became a great admirer of the vernacular architecture of the Cotswolds early in his career, working as clerk of the works during the construction of Batsford Park (later inherited by the father of the famous Mitford sisters) near Moreton-in-Marsh after an apprenticeship in Dublin. Dawber started his independent practice in 1890 in London, soon becoming well known for middle-sized stone country houses, often in the revival Tudor or Late Stuart styles. In 1925, Dawber founded the Council for the Preservation of Rural England after writing extensively on the vernacular buildings of the Cotswolds, Kent, and Sussex. The west end of Eyford Park. Country Life Picture Library. While it can be tricky to apply a label of architectural style on every house, The Devoted Classicist would called this an Arts & Crafts house of the later period where classicism become more into play than the more medieval aspects that were hallmarks of the early days of the movement. Some would call it (English) Queen Anne (which is different from the earlier period of that name in the U.S.) and some would call it Edwardian. In any case, there is no question that it is anything less than a spectacularly handsome house. It is Grade II listed. An oblique view of the south (garden) front of Eyford Park. Country Life Picture Library. Although there are some quirky features that resulted from an apparent pre-construction revision to make the house slightly smaller, compromises are not immediately evident on the entrance (north) front or the garden (south) front. Inside, some of the uses of the rooms have changed to suit the needs of the current owners and some spaces have changed with opening of walls and rearranging partitions. The north garden at Eyford Park in a 2008 photo by Paul Barker. Country Life Picture Library. "What I've been trying to do is to modernize it and make it more child friendly," Mrs. Prest told Country Life. "I hope we've hit the right note, with baths that work (they never really did in my grandmother's time) and yet none of that modern, hotel-like feel of interior design. Eyford is not a Chatsworth or a Blenheim - it only has six bedrooms - but it's really alive. Each day, I pinch myself at how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful, peaceful, yet practical house." A detail of the site plan of Eyford Park. The area in pink indicates a proposal for an indoor swimmng pool in a portion of the converted stable block. Drawing via public documents. Guy Dawber laid out the gardens in the 1920s, but the Kleinworts brought in Graham Stuart Thomas in 1976 to improve the landscaping, as he had done at Sezincote; he returned again during the ownership of Mrs. Heber-Percy. And John Fowler of Colefax & Fowler was consulted on the decoration, as also he had done at Sezincote. The proposed floor plan for Eyford Park. (Not as built) "Recent Designs in Domestic Architecture" The Billiard Room and the Housekeeper's Room were deleted, along with the Kitchen wing. The Drawing Room was made longer, but the fireplace was left off-center. Later, a flat roof garage was added on the east end; it now has a rooftop conservatory. The Hall was later made into the Dining Room and the Business Room was later made into the Breakfast Room. Presumably, the original Dining Room is now a Family Room. The garden side of Eyford Park as originally proposed in a circa 1910 rendering. "Recent Designs in Domestic Architecture" "About 60% of the carpets and curtains and 90% of the furniture are my grandmother's," Mrs. Prest told Country Life. It is not difficult to see the influence of John Fowler in the Drawing Room, for example. The Drawing Rom of Eyford Park as photographed by Paul Higham, and published in 2011. Country Life Picture Library. In 2004, Penelope Reeve was brought in to paint murals on the walls of the space that became the Dining Room. The Dining Room, originally the Garden Hall. Country Life Picture Library. A series of scenes inspired by the canals of Venice cover the walls and incorporate the members of the family, including the housekeeper. A detail of the current Dining Room in Eyford Park. Country Life Picture Library. The Breakfast Room was apparently intended as a home office for the original owner, a diplomat often in foreign service, explaining its relatively formal proportions and detailing. The current Breakfast Room of Eyford Park. Country Life Picture Library. An archway was added to connect the Kitchen and Breakfast Room as a concession to modern living. A view from the Kitchen to the Breakfast Room in a photo by Paul Higham published in 2011. Country Life Picture Library. More evidence of Penelope Reeve's murals line the passage outside the Dining Room at the staircase. A detail of the staircase at Eyford Park in a photo by Paul Higham, published 2011. Country Life Picture Library. The paneling of the staircase is painted in three glazed straw tones as one comes to expect from a Colefax & Fowler scheme to highlight the architectural detailing. The staircase at Eyford Park in a photo by Paul Higham, published 2011. Country Life Picture Library. The attic (not shown) was converted to additional family use, giving "rooms where a million dogs or children can mill around." The upstairs landing at Eyford Park. (Photo by Paul Higham not used) Country Life Picture Library. Despite the accolades, Eyford Park is not particularly well-known. The house is not open to the public but charity-related events have sometimes been held on the grounds. Eyford Park appears on the dust jacket of Clive Aslet's book THE EDWARDIAN COUNTRY HOUSE, A SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY and the same image along with another appears inside, but other than captions, there is no accompanying text. It is an excellent book, however, and highly recommended for those interested in the country houses built in Britain between 1890 and 1939. Note must be made that it is a rewrite of sorts, or a new, expanded edition of Clive Aslet's 1982 book THE LAST COUNTRY HOUSES. These titles as well as others by Clive Aslet are available for order at a discount from the published price here. THE EDWARDIAN COUNTRY HOUSE A SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY by Clive Aslet, published November, 2012. If reading this in a format other than the standard on-line version, visit the main blog site to leave a comment, learn more about The Devoted Classicist, search the archives, and read other posts in this series with a connection to Daylesford. And lastly, a special thanks to Devoted Readers TB and TW who generously contributed advice and images for this post.
A site near a Derbyshire estate could be protected from development for the next 13 years after plans for 400 homes were rejected last week.
Credit: Fringe
Read our guide to England's most beautiful stately homes complete with ghosts art and palatial antiques.
An Elizabethan country house in Derbyshire, Designed by Countess of Shrewsbury who was one of the richest woman in England. The large windows shoes the wealth as glass was realy expensive, This picture taken from ruins of the old hardwick Hall.
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