Every historic building has a story to tell
Abandoned architecture is a hot item on social media – and serious business for some photographers and urban explorers. The ruins of this country, though, are much more recent than those of England (as are most things), with many fewer centuries of history and stories. I adore the historic architecture of America- but comparing the (read more)
I never intended to be a preservationist – and I certainly never daydreamed about the wild and hedonistic lifestyle of an architectural historian. No, from the age of 11 (after my goal of being a veterinarian was derailed by my father informing me that I needed to take more of an interest in science and (read more)
My college art history classes invariably began at 8 am or right after lunch- neither being a good time to sit in a darkened room and look at slides. Despite this, I relished (through occasional yawns) this exposure to artwork far removed from my rural background, and I fell madly in love with the old (read more)
Categories: Art, Country house, England, National Trust
Tags: J.M.W. Turner, Petworth, West Sussex
My travels about the English countryside have provided an unparalleled opportunity to see entrancing landscapes, incredible architecture, meet wonderful people, and inevitably, to be stranded after missing yet another bus. So it was with some optimistic cheer I planned an easy, relaxing jaunt on a warm Sunday afternoon to the Vyne near Oxford with my (read more)
Categories: Country house, England, National Trust
Tags: Henry VIII, Jane Austen, The Vyne, Tormore School
The curtailment of my wanderings in England stems mainly from my lack of a car, but also the very real challenges of (dependable) public transportation in rural England. This conclusion springs not just from the occasions where I have found myself wondering if I can walk nine miles along a highway to the nearest population (read more)
Categories: Country house, England, National Trust
Tags: Corfe Castle, Dorset, Kingston Lacey, William Bankes
After resting my eyes upon countless hillsides dotted with grazing sheep in the Lake District, my visit to Wimpole Hall and Farm (a National Trust site) provided a different rural perspective. Wimpole, located about 11 miles from Cambridge, is a commercial lowland farm of 2,500 acres. East England’s rolling hills are much more suited to (read more)
Categories: Country house, England, Farming, National Trust
Tags: barns, Sir John Soane
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