Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) was one of the great architects of the twentieth century. His Edwardian country houses, surrounded by rhapsodic gardens, beguiled clients with their romance and wit. After 1918, the war memorials that he created symbolized a grieving nation's sense of loss. In the new capital of the British Raj, New Delhi, the Viceroy's House or Rashtrapati Bhavan had a footprint bigger than Versailles. His unfinished Liverpool Cathedral would have rivaled St ...

'Written with both charm and elegance, The Real Crown Jewels of England is a triumphant tribute to some of England's original treasures . . . lovingly captures the magic of the places that underpin our national identity and is a chance to rejoice in that heritage' CountrysideOn 15 April 2019, Paris's beloved Notre Dame was ablaze. It shocked the world - a revered landmark, a national symbol, a manifestation of French identity was ...

The fascinating story of the evolution of the country house in Britain, from its Roman precursors to the presentThe 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 c...

King Charles III’s affection for architecture is wellknown, but the extent of his engagement has never been fully presented to the public. This is the first book to draw together the many threads, from the "carbuncle" speech, made at Hampton Court in 1984, until his accession to the throne. He has created model settlements such as Poundbury through the Duchy of Cornwall, Dumfries House in East Ayrshire has been made a beacon of social regeneration, and his educational initiatives have chan...

“A humdinging page-turner of a book”The Spectator“This book will give great pleasure”Country LifeTraditional English rectories and vicarages have been neglected by the Church in the post-war years, but have become highly desirable to property buyers, and are now cherished by their new private owners. They combine many coveted qualities: their fine architecture, their air of civilisation, their charm and character, the traditio...

Villages of Britain is thehistory of the countryside, told through five hundred of its mostnoteworthy settlements. Many of Britain's villages are known for theirloveliness, of course, but their role in shaping the nation over thecenturies is relatively untold, drowned out by the metropolitan bias ofhistory.A consummate storyteller, Clive Aslet deftly weaves the worlds ofagriculture, politics, the arts, industry, folklore, science, ...

Clive Aslet's War Memorial: The Story of One Village's Sacrifice from 1914 to 2003, is a powerfulstory of those who died in war.Who were the men and women whose names are commemorated on war memorials around the country? Where did they live - and how and why did they die?Such questions usually go unanswered, but this book for the first time unravels the story of one war memorial, in the Dartmoor village of Lydford. Through o...

Strange laws, heroic deeds, surprising revelations, and quirky stories that have shaped the unique history of Britain’s capital.London’s long history is extraordinarily rich—and whether your interest is political, social, architectural, or historical, you’ll find a variety of topics in this alternative guide to London.Learn about:· Roman ruins· Notorious crimes· Hidden tube stations· The famous London smog· Cockney rhyming...

London’s Strangest Tales takes a walk on London’s weirder side with an absorbing collection of curious tales from one of the world’s greatest cities. This fascinating book is packed with amazing things you didn’t know about Britain’s capital, like the fact that it’s still forbidden to run, carry an umbrella or whistle in the Burlington Arcade, and the fat lamppost at the corner of Trafalgar Square that is secretly a tiny prison cell. And did you know that the entrance to Buckingham Palace ...

The Cotswolds is a region in the west of England famed for its wonderful scenery and gorgeous villages. This book is out of the ordinary because it describes in depth a selection of the most interesting places, many of which are unknown except to the conoscenti. Written by a long time resident and acknowledged expert in the area, it is the only written companion you need if you really want to understand the history and significance of a place that is easily accessible from London and which...

There is hardly a city in the world with richer historical and cultural assocations than London. It is a place where history has been made for thousands of years, and where it is still being made today. It is not a city frozen in time, preserved in its ancient medieval pomp but a place that has been at or near the centre of national life for a thousand years and at the forefront of international political, cultural and economic history for each of the past five centuries. Here Stephen Inwo...

John Betjeman began writing for the Telegraph in 1951 and continued to do so for a quarter of a century. During that time Britain underwent profound social and cultural changes. In architecture, grand Victorian edifices were pulled down to make way for gleaming brutalist monuments to the Future. In literature, a new generation of angry young men (and women) challenged convention head on. In music, pomp and circumstance gave way to the electric guitar. And in fashion, hemlines crep...