The Story of the Country House: A History of Places and People

256 Pages·2021·9.912 MB·English

by  Clive Aslet

The Story
of the
Country House
· C l i v e A s l e t·
Yale University Press
New Haven and London
First published by Yale University Press 2021
302 Temple Street, P. O. Box 209040,
New Haven, CT 06520-9040
47 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP
yalebooks.com | yalebooks.co.uk
Copyright © 2021 Clive Aslet
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any
other information storage and retrieval system (beyond that copying permitted
by Sections 107 and 108 of the US Copyright Law and except by reviewers for
the public press), without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 978-0-300-255058 HB
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020952054
Edited by Henry Howard
Text design, typesetting and eBook by Tetragon, London
Illustrations by Bethan Scorey
To Marcus, Michael, Jeremy, John and Mary;
and in memory of John and Giles

Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
Prologue 15
1 · Medieval 19
2 · Tudor and Elizabethan 35
3 · Early Stuart 56
4 · Commonwealth to Queen Anne 70
5 · Early Georgian 89
6 · Mid-Georgian 108
7 · Regency to William IV 135
8 · Early and High Victorian 149
9 · Turn of the Century 172
10 · Between the Wars 190
11 · Post-War: Recovery and Boom 202
12 · Now 214
Further Reading 225
Index 235

Acknowledgements
There are many people whom I must thank for their contribution to this
book, foremost among them being the owners of many country houses
I have visited over the years during a long association with Country Life.
My colleagues in the architectural department of that magazine have
been an unending source of erudition and delight. Today the flag is kept
flying by John Goodall, with whom I have travelled Britain, entranced
by his incomparable expertise in old buildings. John has been generous
enough to read the manuscript, as did Tim Brittain-Catlin and Simon
Thurley: their comments have been pure gold. Others who have shared
abundantly of their knowledge are Mary Miers, James Stourton and
James Knox. Any error is mine.
My first book, The Last Country Houses, was published by Yale in
1982; in 1990, the same press brought out The American Country House.
After something of a break, I am delighted to find myself again racing
under Yale colours. I would like to thank Heather McCallum and Sophie
Neve for making this possible. Henry Howard has been the copy editor
of my dreams.
My wife Naomi and sons William, Johnny and Charlie have tolerated
my architectural obsessions over the years – and William has come to
share some of them, while outshining his father, by studying for a PhD
on James Gibbs. Deepest love and thanks to them all.