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From 14th-century buildings such as Stokesay Castle to Edwin Lutyens’s Castle Drogo, completed in 1930, Trevor Yorke’s architectural history and guide traces social, material and stylistic developments as the English country house evolved; then goes inside the buildings to examine structures such as ceilings and fireplaces, the layout of rooms, service quarters and gardens. Finally, a reference section includes a list of places to visit and a glossary.

Almost half of the historic palaces selected in this guide are in the British Isles and the book provides succinct overviews of each building's history and notable features as well as visitor information. Entries include the Tower of London, Balmoral and Conwy Castle and international examples range from Versailles to the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Built in Wiltshire during the reign of Elizabeth I, Longford Castle, seat of the Earls of Radnor, houses an important art collection, the majority of the paintings still hanging within the magnificently furnished home. This study of Longford, its collectors and its paintings is illustrated by 119 photographs of the interior and reproductions of works by artists including Velázquez, Gainsborough and Van Dyck, and masterpieces now in the National Gallery, among them The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Built for the City merchant John Boyd (1718–1800), Danson House in Kent is an exemplary Palladian villa, designed by the architect Robert Taylor in 1766. This detailed study tells the story of the house, the estate, its owners and its restoration by English Heritage between 1995 and 2004.

Studying the country house in Britain and Europe as site, product and process of consumption, this volume of 19 illustrated papers explores the complex flows of goods, people and ideas in houses such as Stoneleigh Abbey, Wrest Park and the Dundas properties, Aske Hall and Moor Park. The book is in five parts: elites and consumption; continuity and heritage; eastern connections, adoptions and imitations; country house interiors as lived spaces; and presentation.

Boughton House in Northamptonshire, built for the Montagu family and home to the Dukes of Buccleuch since the 18th century, is one of Britain’s grandest and best-preserved stately homes. With contributions from experts including John Cornforth, Nicholas Barker and Gervase Jackson-Stops, this volume presents a richly illustrated study of the house and its contents, with chapters devoted to paintings, furniture, porcelain, silver, the amoury and the French influence that earned Boughton the epithet ‘the English Versailles’.

Until its conquest by Napoleon in 1797, Venice was not only a great maritime trading power, but controlled a substantial swath of the Italian mainland: the Veneto. After a general historical introduction, this magnificent volume takes the reader on a chronological tour of 28 of the lavish villas built by the city's patricians in Verona, Padua and other mainland cities. Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs, it offers an unparalleled overview of the evolution of art and architecture over five centuries.

Until its conquest by Napoleon in 1797, Venice was not only a great maritime trading power, but controlled a substantial swath of the Italian mainland: the Veneto. After a general historical introduction, this magnificent volume takes the reader on a chronological tour of 28 of the lavish villas built by the city's patricians in Verona, Padua and other mainland cities. Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs, it offers an unparalleled overview of the evolution of art and architecture over five centuries.