741:". This not only resulted in tax being payable on all forms of inheritance, but also removed several loopholes to avoid paying inheritance taxes. In 1881 "probate duty" became payable on all personal property bequeathed at death. The wording personal property meant that for the first time not only the house and its estate were taxed but also the contents of the house including jewellery – these were often of greater value than the estate itself. By 1884 estate duty taxed property of any manner bequeathed at death, but even when the Liberal government in 1894 reformed and tidied the complicated system at 8% on properties valued at over one million pounds, they were not punitive to a social class able to live comfortably off inherited wealth far below that sum. Death duties, however, slowly increased and became a serious problem for the country estate throughout the first half of the 20th century, reaching a zenith when assisting in the funding of World War II.
323:, confident of future victory, advised its readers that "a new order cannot be based on the preservation of privilege, whether the privilege be that of a county, a class, or an individual." Thus it was after the end of the war, as the government handed back the requisitioned, war-torn and frequently dilapidated mansions to their often demoralised and impoverished owners; it was during a period of not just mounting taxation, to pay for a costly war, but also a time when it seemed all too clear that the old order had passed. In this political climate, many felt it the only option to abandon their ancestral piles. Thus, following the cessation of hostilities, the trickle of demolitions which had begun in the earlier part of the century became a torrent of destruction.
286:
38:
458:
1032:, even though this was the most comprehensive law pertaining to planning legislation in England. The 1947 Act went further than its predecessors in dealing with historic buildings, as it required owners of property to notify their local authority of intended alterations, and more significantly, demolitions. This caught any property which may have escaped official notice previously. Theoretically, it gave the local authority the opportunity to impose a preservation order on the property and prevent demolition. Under this law the Duke of Bedford was fined for demolishing half of
206:
549:; this hit Britain's aristocracy hard. These factors, coupled with a decrease in people available or willing to work as servants, left the owners of country houses facing major problems of how to manage their estates. The most obvious solution was to off-load the cash-eating family mansion. Many were offered for sale as suitable for institutional use; those not readily purchased were speedily demolished. In the years immediately after the war, the law was powerless — even had it wished to — to stop the demolition of a private house no matter how architecturally important.
501:, to the British public still suffering from the deprivations of food rationing and restriction on building work the destruction of these great redundant houses was of little interest. From 1914 onwards there had been a huge exodus away from a life in domestic service; having experienced the less restricted and better-paid life away from the great estates, few were anxious to return – this in itself was a further reason that life in the English country house was becoming near impossible to all but the very rich.
1313:. By 1992, 600 "stately homes" were visited annually by 50 million members of the paying public. Stately homes were now big business, but opening a few rooms and novelties in the park alone was not going to fund the houses beyond the final decades of the twentieth century. Even during the stately home boom years of the 1960s and 1970s historic houses were still having their contents sold, being demolished or, if permission to demolish was not forthcoming, being left to dereliction and ruin.
351:
977:, with the end of World War II in sight, was chiefly concerned with the redevelopment of bomb sites, but contained one crucial clause which concerned historic buildings: it charged local authorities to draw up a list of all buildings of architectural importance in their area, and, most significantly, for the first time the catalogue was to include inhabited private residences. This legislation created the foundations for what are today known as
533:
the 20th century are politics and social conditions. During the Second World War many large houses were requisitioned, and subsequently for the duration of the war were used for the billeting of military personnel, government operations, hospitals, schools and a myriad of other uses far removed from the purpose for which they were designed. At the end of the war when handed back to the owners, many were in a poor or ruinous state of repair.
202:, convinced there was no future for Britain's great houses, had begun selling the house's contents. Increasing taxation and a shortage of staff meant that the old way of life had ended. The wealth and status of the owner provided no protection to the building: even the wealthier owners became keen to free themselves of not only the expense of a large house, but also the trappings of wealth and privilege which the house represented.
314:, was published in 1945, its first few chapters offered a glimpse of an exclusive and enviable world, a world of beautiful country houses with magnificent contents, privileged occupants, a profusion of servants and great wealth. Yet, in its final chapters, Brideshead's author accurately documented a changing and fading world, a world in which the country house as a symbol of power, privilege and a natural order, was not to exist.
1289:. Reacquiring occupation of this enormous 16th-century mansion, in a state of poor repair, following requisition during World War II, the marquess was faced with death duties of £700,000. The marquess opened the house to the paying public and kept the proceeds himself to fund the mansion. In 1966, to keep attendance numbers high, the peer went a step further and introduced lions to the park, thus creating Britain's' first
1417:
745:
Some estate owners gave their properties to their heirs thereby escaping duties; when subsequently that heir was killed fighting, death duties were not payable because a soldier's or sailor's (and later airman's) estate was not subject to the tax. However, if the heir had died single and intestate, the former owner would become the owner again, and when that owner died, the death taxes would have to be paid.
734:
inheriting were exempt from payment, but anyone other than wives and children of the deceased had to pay on an increasing scale depending on the distance of the relationship from the deceased. These taxes gradually increased not only the percentage of the estate that had to be paid, but also to include closer heirs liable to payment. By 1815, the tax was payable by all except the spouse of the deceased.
63:
157:
759:
347:
often owned several country mansions. Thus it became a favoured option to select the most conveniently sited (whether for privacy or sporting reasons), easily managed, or of greatest sentimental value; fill it with the choicest art works from the other properties; and then demolish the less favoured. Thus, one solution not only solved any financial problems, but also removed an unwanted burden.
1364:
677:. While not imposed in Ireland, the rate of 10% on the total income, with reductions only possible in incomes below £200, immediately hit the better off. The tax was repealed for a brief period in 1802 during a cessation in hostilities with the French, but its reintroduction in 1803 set the pattern for all future taxation in Britain. While the tax was again repealed following the victory at
1008:, insisted, as 300-year-old oaks were uprooted, that "the park be mined right up to the mansion's door." Meanwhile, plans by the socialist government to wrest the house from its owner, the Earl Fitzwilliam, and convert the architecturally important house for "homeless industrial families" were only abandoned at the eleventh hour when Earl Fitzwilliam, through the auspices of
914:
445:, considerably reduced in size, after World War II, while selling other family estates and houses. Whatever the personal choices and reasons for the sales and demolitions, the underlying and unifying factor was almost always financial. This began long before the 20th century with the gradual introduction and increase of taxes on income and further tax on inherited wealth,
653:; selling them for redevelopment was the obvious first choice to raise some fast cash. The second choice was to sell part of the landed estate, especially if had been purchased in order to expand political territory. In fact, the buying of land in earlier times, before the reforms of 1885, to expand political territory had had a detrimental effect on country houses too.
1455:
again, albeit also doubling as a wedding venue and sometimes a film set; both common and lucrative sources of country house income in the 21st century. The 21st century has also seen many country houses transformed into places of seemingly antiquated luxury, in order to meet the demand for a new
British institution, the country house hotel. This has been the fate of
489:
political power had weakened and they faced heavy tax burdens. The staff had either been killed in two world wars or forsaken a life of servitude for better wages elsewhere. Thus the owners of large country houses dependent on staff and a large income began by necessity to dispose of their costly non-self sustaining material assets. Large houses had become redundant
1097:
836:
1257:. He often had to choose between accepting a house and saving it, or declining it and sentencing it to dereliction and demolition. In his published memoirs he writes of the confusion many owners felt in what had become a world they no longer understood. Some were grateful to the Trust, some resented it, and others were openly hostile.
1000:. Elsewhere, the fines levied on those failing to comply with the Act were far less than the profit from redeveloping a site. Little changed. In 1946, in what has been described as "an act of sheer class-war vindictiveness", Britain's Labour government insisted on the destruction, by open cast mining, of the park and formal gardens of
1210:, to assume a "look of pleasure and welcome." Here and elsewhere, however, that welcome did not extend to a tea room and certainly not to chimpanzees swinging through the shrubbery; that was all to come over 50 years later. At this time, admittance was granted in patrician fashion with all proceeds usually donated to a local charity.
505:
1021:
1108:
The unprecedented demolitions of the 20th century did not result in the complete demise of the country house, but rather in a consolidation of those that were most favoured by their owners. Many were the subject of comprehensive alteration and rearrangement of the interior, to facilitate a new way of
940:
thundered: "Clause 17 is an abominably bad clause, these buildings have been preserved to us not by Acts of
Parliament, but by the loving care of generations of free Englishmen who...did not know what a District Council was". The marquess, so against enforced preservation, was in fact a member of the
108:
had been demolished. There were a number of reasons: social, political and, most importantly, financial. In rural areas, the destruction of the country houses and their estates was tantamount to a social revolution. Well into the 20th century, it was common for the local squire to provide large-scale
1446:
felt confident enough of the survival of the country house as a domestic residence to declare: "I would be surprised if there is any greater happiness than that provided by a game of croquet played on an
English lawn through a summer's afternoon, after a good luncheon and with the prospect of a good
1252:
Following World War II, many owners of vast houses faced a dilemma; often they had already disposed of minor country residences to preserve the principal seat, and now that seat too was in jeopardy. Many considered passing their houses to the
National Trust and subsequently received a visit from the
744:
This proved to be the deciding factor for many families when in 1940 death duties were raised from 50% to 65%, and following the cessation of hostilities they were twice raised further between 1946 and 1949. Attempts by some families to avoid paying death duties were both helped and hindered by war.
428:
and other properties failed to solve the family problems, leaving no alternative but demolition of the huge, expensive-to-maintain house, which was razed to the ground in 1938, leaving the Duke without a ducal seat. Plans to rebuild a smaller house on the site were never executed. Other high-ranking
182:
could be purchased for £200. One of
Britain's great ducal country houses, Trentham Hall was demolished with little public comment or interest. It was its owner's property, to do with as he wished. There was no reason for public interest or concern; the same magazine had frequently published in-depth
935:
The Town and
Country Planning Act 1932 was chiefly concerned with development and new planning regulations. However, amongst the small print was Clause 17, which permitted a town council to prevent the demolition of any property within its jurisdiction. This unpopular clause clearly intruded on the
904:
In 1931, the
Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913 was amended to restrict development in an area surrounding an ancient monument. The scope of buildings included was also widened to include "any building, structure or other work, above or below the surface". However, the Act still
656:
Often when a second estate was purchased to expand another, the purchased estate also had a country house. If the land (and its subsequent local influence) was the only requirement, its house would then be let or neglected, often both. This was certainly the case at Tong Castle (see below) and many
532:
There were, however, reasons other than public indifference. Successive legislation involving national heritage, often formulated by the aristocracy themselves, had omitted any reference to private houses. The main reasons that so many
British country houses were destroyed during the second half of
1276:
It was impossible to foresee, in the spring of 1944, the present cult of the
English country house. It seemed then that the ancestral seats which were our chief national artistic achievement were doomed to decay and spoilation like the monasteries in the sixteenth century. So I piled it on rather,
1087:
in 1974. The response to this highly publicised exhibition was very positive; for the first time the public, rather than a few intellectual bodies, became aware that country houses were an important part of the national heritage and worthy of preservation. Today, over 370,000 buildings are listed,
873:
was the first Act which had the aim of deliberately preserving ancient monuments built since prehistoric times. The act clearly defined a monument as "Any structure or erection other than one in ecclesiastical use." Furthermore, the Act compelled the owner of any monument on the list to notify the
785:
While these agreements did not divest the owner of the title to the property, they imposed on the civil authority an obligation to maintain and preserve for the nation. So while the Acts may have been in favour of the owner, they set a precedent for the later preservation of structures of national
611:
of 1885 widened the number of males eligible to vote to 60% of the population. Males paying an annual rental of £10, or holding land valued at £10 or over, were now eligible to vote. The other factor was the reorganization of constituency boundaries, and a candidate who for years had been returned
528:
business, very few working-class people had seen the upstairs of these great houses; those who had were there only to clean and serve, with an obligation to keep their eyes down, rather than uplift them and be educated. Thus ignorance of the nation's heritage was a large contributory factor to the
346:
A significant factor, which explained the seeming ease with which a
British aristocrat could dispose of his ancestral seat, was the aristocratic habit of only marrying within the aristocracy and whenever possible to a sole heiress. This meant that by the 20th century, many owners of country houses
276:
and its collection were saved, after protracted appeals and debates. Today, demolition has ceased to be a realistic, or legal, option for listed buildings, and an historic house (particularly one with its contents intact) has become recognized as worthy of retention and preservation. However, many
603:
to only a limited section of the community, many of whom were the landowner's friends, tradesmen with whom he dealt, senior employees or tenants. The local landowner often not only owned an elector's house, but was also his employer, and it was not prudent for the voter to be seen publicly voting
488:
Before the 19th century, the British upper classes enjoyed a life relatively free from taxation. Staff were plentiful and cheap, and estates not only provided a generous income from tenanted land but also political power. During the 19th century this began to change, by the mid-20th century their
1264:
was an integral part of the family's being and needed to be preserved and retained by the family, even if this meant "entering trade", a prospect which would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier. This turn of events had not been anticipated; Evelyn Waugh in his introduction to the 1959
952:
Thus, when the Act was finally passed after approval from the House of Lords, the final paragraph excluded from the act "any building included in a list of monuments published by the Commissioners of Works" and more tellingly did not "affect any powers of the Commissioners of Works." Ironically,
1454:
in Somerset, which in the preceding 50 years had been transformed from an ancestral home and hub of an estate, into a school. Then, following a brief period while its owners tried to save it as a stately home open to the public, it had been sold and purchased for use as a private residence once
995:
The Act criminalised unauthorised alterations, or demolitions, to a listed building, so in theory at least, all historic buildings were now safe from unauthorised demolition. The truth was that the Act was rarely enforced, only a few buildings were listed, over half of them by just one council,
733:
Death duties are the taxes most commonly associated with the decline of the British country house. They are not, in fact, a phenomenon peculiar to the 20th century, as they had first been introduced in 1796. "Legacy duty" was a tax payable on money bequeathed from a personal estate. Next of kin
1341:
in sight did not wish to be seen saving the ancestral home of an hereditary nobleman, and thus rejected the offer. However, that same year the destruction finally came to a near standstill. This was due not just to stricter application of legislation, but also in part due to the aforementioned
496:
There are several reasons which had brought about this situation – most significantly in the early 20th century there was no firmly upheld legislation to protect what is now considered to be the nation's heritage. Additionally, public opinion did not have the sentiment and interest in national
342:
duty. A vacant site was attractive to property developers, who would pay a premium for an empty site that could be rebuilt upon and filled with numerous small houses and bungalows, which would return a quick profit. This was especially true in the years immediately following World War II, when
1305:. With the example and precedent of "trade" set by those at the top of the aristocratic pyramid, within a few years hundreds of Britain's country houses were open two or three days a week to a public eager to see the rooms which a few years earlier their ancestors had cleaned. Others, such as
91:
had been demolishing some of their country houses since the 15th century, when comfort replaced fortification as an essential need. For many, demolishing and rebuilding their country homes became a lifelong hobby, in particular during the 18th century when it became fashionable to take the
1316:
By the early 1970s the demolition of great country houses began to slow. However, while the disappearance of the houses eased, the dispersal of the contents of many of these near redundant museums of social history did not, a fact highlighted in the early 1970s by the dispersal sale of
1072:. This Act compelled owners to seek and wait for permission to demolish a building, rather than merely notify the local authority. It also gave the local authority powers to immediately protect the building by issuing a "Building Preservation Notice", which in effect gave the structure
793:
monuments were included, the Acts specifically excluded inhabited residences. The aristocratic ruling class of Britain inhabiting their homes and castles were certainly not going to be regulated by some lowly civil servants. This view was exemplified in 1911 when the immensely wealthy
1060:, the noted biographer and historian of the English country house) and the demolition went ahead unchallenged. The mid-1950s, which should have been regulated by the above Acts, was the era in which most houses were legitimately destroyed, at an estimated rate of one every five days.
648:
As land prices and incomes continued to fall, the great London palaces were the first casualties; the peer no longer needed to use his London house to maintain a high prestige presence in the capital. Its site was often more valuable empty than with the anachronistic palace
573:
changed the viability of estates in general. Previously, such holdings yielded at least enough to fund loans on the large debts and mortgages usually undertaken to fund a lavish lifestyle, often spent in entertaining both on the country estate and "in town", in the family's
722:
1217:(the National Trust) was founded as a charitable society principally for the preservation of landscapes of outstanding beauty or interest. During its infancy its focus gradually changed to include historic buildings. This was due in part to the millionaire philanthropist,
1494:
for auction. The controversy and debate concerning the salvation echoed the debates of the early 20th century about the worth to the national heritage. Today, the British country house is safe from demolition, but its worth is still subject to debate and re-evaluation.
781:
provided one important factor which saved many monuments of national importance by making provision for owners of ancient monuments (on list of the 1882 catalogue) to enter into agreement with civil authorities whereby the property was placed under public guardianship.
706:
which removed the Lords' power of veto. In 1932, the threat through taxation to the nation's heritage was recognized, and appeals were made for repairs to National Trust and historic properties by their tenants to be tax-deductible; however the pleas fell on deaf ears.
1329:, failed to save the mid-Victorian mansion; and the subsequent departure from Britain of many important works of art from Mentmore caused public opinion to slowly change. The house had, in fact, been offered to the nation by its owners in lieu of death duties, but the
624:
889:'s castle was prevented. The 1913 Act was an important step in highlighting the risk to the nation's many historic buildings. The Act also went further than its predecessors by decreeing that the public should have access to the monuments preserved at its expense.
874:
newly formed Ancient Monuments Board of any proposed alterations, including demolition. The board then had the authority, if minded, to recommend that Parliament place a preservation order on a building, regardless of the owner's wishes, and thus protect it.
598:
The country houses have been described as "power houses", from which their owners controlled not only the vast surrounding estates, but also, through political influence, the people living in the locality. Political elections held in public before 1872 gave
1229:, which promptly passed it to the National Trust. It was one of the Trust's first great houses, and over the next 70 years was to be followed by over three hundred further nationally important houses which the Trust would administer and open to the public.
832:, from ruin. Thus, despite money being no problem for its owner, Trentham Hall was obliterated from its park, which the duke retained and then opened to the public. Thus it was that country houses were left unprotected by any compulsory legislation.
103:
In the early 20th century, the demolition accelerated, while rebuilding largely ceased. The demolitions were not confined to England, but spread throughout Britain. By the end of the century, even some of the "new" country houses by the architect
701:
for the rich, but the bill introducing the tax was defeated in the House of Lords. This respite for owners of large country houses, many of them members of the House of Lords, was brief and ultimately self-defeating: the bill's defeat led to the
385:
rather than the aristocracy; in these cases the owners, little more than gentlemen farmers, often razed the ancestral home to save costs and thankfully moved into a smaller but more comfortable farmhouse or purpose-built new house on the estate.
585:
had led some holders into financial shortfalls as they tried to balance maintenance of their estate with the income it provided. Some relied on funds from secondary sources such as banking and trade while others, like the severely impoverished
786:
importance. The main problem with the Acts was that, out of all Britain's great buildings, they only found 26 monuments in England, 22 in Scotland, eighteen in Ireland and three in Wales worthy of preservation; all of which were prehistoric.
343:
Britain was desperate to replace the thousands of homes destroyed. Thus, in many cases, the demolition of the ancestral seat, strongly entwined with the family's history and identity, followed the earlier loss of the family's London house.
497:
heritage that is evident in Britain today. When the loss of Britain's architectural heritage reached its height at the rate of one house every five days in 1955, few were particularly interested or bothered. In the immediate aftermath of
417:, inherited huge financial problems until finally in 1922 anything left that was moveable, both internal and external, was auctioned off and the house sold, narrowly escaping demolition. It was saved by being transformed into a school.
1036:
without notification, although it is inconceivable that the duke would have been able to demolish half of the huge house (much of it visible from a public highway) without attracting public attention until the demolition was complete.
100:. During the 19th century, many houses were enlarged to accommodate the increasing numbers of servants needed to create the famed country house lifestyle. Less than a century later, this often meant they were of an unmanageable size.
1187:
Many of Britain's greatest houses have frequently been open to the paying public. Well-heeled visitors could knock on the front door and a senior servant would give a guided tour for a small remuneration. In the early 19th century,
1233:
536:
During the next two decades, restrictions were applied to building works as Britain was rebuilt, priority being given to replacing what had been lost during the war rather than the oversized home of an elite family. In addition,
334:
architecture, passed without significant comment. Town houses such as Northumberland House were highly visible displays of wealth and political power, so consequently more likely to be the victims of changing fashions.
1891:
1381:
1243:
in 1974 was unsuccessful. The priceless contents were sold and are now dispersed over the world, and the house was sold and allowed to decay. Today, four decades after it ceased to be a private house, it lies empty,
83:
of varying architectural merit were demolished by their owners. Collectively termed by several authors "the lost houses", the destruction of these now often-forgotten houses has been described as a cultural tragedy.
892:
While the catalogue of buildings worthy of preservation was to expand, it remained restrictive, and failed to prevent many of the early demolitions, including, in 1925, the export to the USA of the near ruinous
515:
in Norfolk, a fortified mansion, complete with castellated gatehouse, exemplified early domestic architecture. Shortly before its demolition in 1966 it was photographed with an advancing army of small, box-like
2977:
1271:
explained he had not anticipated that Brideshead would in fact have been absorbed by the heritage industry; like the owners of many demolished 'stately homes' Waugh had assumed that such houses were doomed:
953:
eighteen years later, on the untimely death of the marquess, by then Duke of Devonshire, his son was forced to surrender to the state, in lieu of death duties, one of England's most historic country houses,
692:
introduced 'differentiation', a tax designed to be more punitive to those with investments rather than an earned income, which directly hit the aristocracy and gentry. Two years later, Lloyd George in his
1214:
958:
187:. As far as general opinion was concerned, England's great houses came and they went; as long as their numbers remained, continuing to provide local employment, the public were not largely concerned. The
264:
In the 1960s, historians and public bodies had begun to realise the loss to the nation of this destruction. However, the process of change was long, and it was not until 1984 with the preservation of
2987:
1508:
1104:. During the 20th century, the house survived its owner's impoverishment and was in turn a private house, a school, an open "stately home", once again a private house, and is today a wedding venue.
881:, Lincolnshire. An American millionaire wished to purchase the uninhabited castle, and ship it to the USA in its entirety. To frustrate the proposal, the castle had been purchased and restored by
410:
402:
1260:
To some owners, the principal house was more than just a dwelling; built when the family was at the height of its power, wealth and glory, it represented the family's history and status. The
795:
942:
877:
Like its predecessors, the 1913 Act deliberately omitted inclusion of inhabited buildings, whether they were castles or palaces. The catalyst for the 1913 Act had been the threat to
870:
1088:
which includes all buildings erected before 1700 and most constructed before 1840. After that date a building has to be of architectural or historical importance to be protected.
612:
unopposed suddenly found part of his electorate was from an area outside of his influence. Thus the national power of the landed aristocrats and gentry was slowly diminished. The
253:
in lieu of death duties, which were charged at up to 80% of the total value of an estate, but this solution was rarely acceptable to the government. As late as 1975, the British
1024:
Belvoir House, Newtownbreda, Belfast, the former seat of the Viscounts Dungannon and latterly the Barons Deramore, was demolished in 1961 by the Northern Ireland Forest Service.
2992:
1513:
1277:
with passionate sincerity. Brideshead today would be open to trippers, its treasures rearranged by expert hands and the fabric better maintained than it was by Lord Marchmain.
1041:
1012:, agreed to its conversion to a college—a lesser fate. This was the political climate in which many families abandoned the houses their families had owned for generations.
688:
It was never again repealed. Throughout the 19th century, tax thresholds remained high, permitting the wealthy to live comfortably while paying minimal tax; until in 1907,
716:
587:
390:
640:). 208 boreholes were placed around the building, using 136lb of plastic explosive, and 75lb of amatol. The Church windows were opened to cope with the blast. At 2.30pm
616:
was slowly ceasing to rule. In 1888 the creation of local elected authorities in the form of county councils eroded their immediate local power too. The final blow, the
2554:
2521:
128:
in England. In Scotland, the figure is proportionally higher. There, 378 architecturally important country houses have been demolished, 200 of these since the end of
1226:
882:
457:
2961:
2837:
1447:
dinner ahead. There are not that many things which the English do better than anyone else. It is encouraging to think we are still holding on to a few of them."
925:
in Wiltshire, and the demolition went ahead unchallenged in 1956. Only the orangery wings – to the left of the photograph – remain, and they are today
2724:
1225:
in 1931, one of England's most important Elizabethan mansions, which had been offered for sale with a "scrap value of £5,882". Cook presented the house to the
1040:
Indifference on the part of local authorities and the public resulted in poor enforcement of the Act, and revealed the true root of the problem. When in 1956
338:
The difference in the 20th century was that the acts of demolition were often acts of desperation and last resort; a demolished house could not be valued for
194:
Before World War I only a few houses were demolished, but the pace increased: by 1955, one house was being demolished every five days. As early as 1944, the
2357:
Deborah Devonshire in "Wait for me", p. 147, records that before the 1950s all monies gained from admittance to Chatsworth were donated to a local hospital.
1523:
1343:
1080:
285:
1128:, secured an avid market among rich Americans. In rare cases, complete houses were disassembled, stone by stone, and reassembled in the US; an example is
897:. This fine half-timbered example of Tudor domestic architecture, was shipped, complete with its timbers, wattle and daub, across the Atlantic. In 1929
810:. After failing to offload the house onto a local authority, he decided to demolish it. The small, but vocal, public resistance to this plan caused the
148:
in the 20 years between 1945 and 1965. In England, it has been estimated that one in six of all country houses were demolished during the 20th century.
777:
was the first serious attempt in Britain to catalogue and preserve ancient British monuments. While the Acts failed to protect any country houses, the
937:
620:, proved to be the beginning of the end for the country house lifestyle which had been enjoyed in a similar way for generations of the upper classes.
569:(for fruit and vegetables). While such estates were sufficiently profitable to maintain the mansion and provide a partial—if not complete—income, the
469:
242:
326:
Destroying buildings of national or potential national importance was not an act peculiar to the 20th century in Britain. The demolition in 1874 of
1079:
The final and perhaps most important factor which secured Britain's heritage was a change in public opinion. This was in part brought about by the
1496:
570:
2562:
1701:
1463:
in Buckinghamshire. Others remain private houses, but with the principal rooms being hired out as film sets and venues for events and weddings.
37:
1518:
641:
54:
remarked to the future King Edward VII of their host, "too grand for a subject; you'll have to have his head off when you come to the throne."
2982:
2856:
2789:
2695:
2657:
2610:
2538:
2446:
1602:
886:
778:
774:
225:, owned by Britain's wealthiest peer, was razed to the ground in 1963, and replaced by a smaller modern building. Sixteen years earlier the
546:
1801:
Bailey, p. 381 and p. 399, and Lees-Milne, p. 132, describe the seeming class warfare and impotence of the aristocracy during this period.
632:"... then, on 18th July 1954, a large crowd gathered to watch this historic event. The operation was conducted by the 213 Field Squadron
2303:
828:". There was an irony in the Duke of Rutland's words, as this same duke was responsible for resurrecting one of his own country houses,
2956:
1029:
811:
2909:
277:
country houses are still at risk, and their security, even as an entirety with their contents, is not guaranteed by any legislation.
2933:
2927:
2875:
2768:
2714:
2676:
2638:
2591:
2505:
2484:
2465:
1403:
878:
685:, the exchequer was so depleted that the tax made a surprise return on incomes above £150, while still known as a "temporary tax".
637:
401:, tempted from the USA by the lure of an old title in return for vast riches. Not all were so fortunate or seemingly eligible. When
1466:
Occasionally, country houses have been saved for purely public appreciation as a result of public appeals and campaigns, such as
1460:
2951:
1385:
209:
Small country house: Dawley Court, Uxbridge (c. 1894), was sold with 20 acres in 1929 for £10,000, and demolished soon after.
1424:
in Derbyshire was saved as a result of increased public awareness and interest in Britain's heritage. It now belongs to the
493:
to be abandoned or demolished. It seemed that in particular regard to the country houses no one was prepared to save them.
1132:, a Lancashire house sold at auction in 1925, dismantled, crated and shipped across the Atlantic, and then reassembled in
2739:
644:
fired the charges ... there are some fine photographs of this event, with the whole base of the Castle covered in smoke."
2054:
2028:
1998:
1069:
974:
2800:
905:
excluded inhabited buildings. Had it included them, much that was destroyed before World War II could have been saved.
1568:
1306:
17:
981:. Under the scheme, an interesting or historic building was graded according to its value to the national heritage:
389:
Occasionally an aristocrat of the first rank did find himself in dire financial troubles. The severely impoverished
1774:
1347:
1326:
1236:
1145:
1084:
1683:. 11 May 1912. p. 686 all give detailed documentation of the building of new large country houses by among others
1374:
205:
1486:
furnishings, was saved for the nation following direct intervention and funding from the Duke of Rothesay (later
1478:, which was saved as an entirety with its contents in 2002. In 2007, after a prolonged and controversial appeal,
1245:
1176:
851:
575:
429:
members of the peerage were also forced to off-load minor estates and seats; the Duke of Northumberland retained
378:
238:
145:
2921:
936:"Englishman's home is his castle" philosophy, and provoked similar aristocratic fury to that seen in 1911. The
51:
562:
174:
1124:
From around 1900, interior woodwork, including complete panelled rooms and staircases and fittings such as
381:
mansions by the notable architects. These smaller, but often aesthetically pleasing houses belonged to the
350:
1009:
858:
725:
The houses lost were in all architectural styles. St Leonard's Hill, Windsor, a 19th-century house in the
557:
Before the 1870s, these estates often encompassed several thousand acres, generally consisting of several
374:
160:
During the 20th century, the dispersal of a country house's contents became a frequent event. The sale of
97:
441:
to be demolished, leaving him with four other country seats remaining. Likewise the Duke of Bedford kept
311:
409:, one of Britain's grandest houses. It proved to be a temporary solution; his heirs, the 3rd and final
2566:
1442:, 47 years after his father wrote his melancholy novel prophesying the decline of country house life,
1705:
1451:
1290:
1267:
1101:
477:
465:
414:
370:
327:
306:
222:
1044:
notified the "Ministry of Housing and Government" of his intention to demolish the greater part and
1878:
1438:
1194:
1001:
703:
617:
398:
331:
268:
that it became obvious that opinion had changed. A large public appeal assured the preservation of
217:
which were wiped from their – often purposely built – landscapes, but also the huge ducal palaces.
2818:
2548:
2515:
2183:
1483:
1293:. After the initial opening of Longleat, the Dukes of Marlborough, Devonshire and Bedford opened
1206:
was open to the public, the 7th Duke of Rutland was reported by his granddaughter, the socialite
1133:
678:
178:
carried a seemingly unremarkable advertisement: the roofing balustrade and urns from the roof of
694:
369:
The vast majority of the houses demolished were of less architectural importance than the great
2903:
2897:
1432:
By 1984 public and Government opinion had so changed that a campaign to save the semi-derelict
949:, the very body which oversaw the implementation of the acts intended to enforce preservation.
2871:
2852:
2785:
2764:
2710:
2691:
2672:
2653:
2634:
2606:
2587:
2534:
2501:
2480:
2461:
2442:
1874:
1598:
1330:
1207:
1118:
1114:
839:
630:
in Shropshire, which was demolished in 1954. Often a demolition became a public entertainment:
542:
461:
261:, thus causing the dispersal, and emigration, of one of the country's finest art collections.
254:
218:
2915:
2311:
657:
other houses. A large unwanted country house unsupported by land quickly became a liability.
476:, at a time when Victorian architecture was unappreciated. It was replaced by a much smaller
1659:. 4 May 1912. Supplement p. iii. Advertisement for the urns and balustrade of Trentham Hall.
1338:
1298:
1282:
1254:
1076:
status. Thus it was that 1968 became the last year that demolition ran into double figures.
1057:
962:
862:
766:
608:
156:
118:
88:
2945:
2939:
1853:
721:
681:, the advantages of such taxation were now obvious. In 1841, after the election victory of
2830:
1334:
1318:
1294:
1240:
1222:
1172:
1141:
1073:
978:
762:
738:
682:
674:
633:
582:
438:
394:
358:
293:
258:
234:
226:
161:
141:
137:
1056:, no preservation society or historical group raised an objection (with the exception of
508:
2846:
1479:
1475:
1471:
1425:
1416:
1286:
1203:
1045:
1005:
946:
927:
898:
623:
566:
490:
430:
362:
273:
183:
articles on new country houses being built, designed by fashionable architects such as
110:
2742:. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Archived from
2398:
317:
As early as June 1940, while Britain was embroiled in the early days of World War II,
2971:
2495:
1688:
1443:
1322:
1310:
1129:
954:
917:
No preservation society or historical group raised an objection to the demolition of
894:
807:
799:
689:
558:
434:
354:
250:
246:
199:
184:
179:
114:
105:
80:
47:
43:
2104:
1302:
1164:
1149:
1137:
1125:
1110:
1049:
1033:
991:
Grade II (buildings of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them)
922:
726:
613:
525:
498:
481:
442:
425:
421:
301:
289:
230:
129:
68:
Advertisement for the roofing balustrade and urns from the demolished Trentham Hall
2781:
Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and Mother in the Gilded Age
1491:
758:
62:
2779:
524:
Another consideration was education. Before the late 1950s and the advent of the
1704:. Victoria and Albert Museum. 3 November 2005 – 12 February 2006. Archived from
1684:
1487:
1467:
1433:
1421:
1363:
1261:
1218:
1189:
1168:
1160:
1053:
918:
829:
823:
627:
406:
269:
265:
169:
133:
835:
1831:
See list, Worsley pp. 186–199. Most are by unknown or little known architects.
1702:"Past Exhibitions: SAVE Britain's Heritage 1975–2005: 30 Years of Campaigning"
997:
803:
670:
538:
446:
125:
93:
27:
Demolition of several larger mansion estates in the UK during the 20th century
2058:
2032:
2002:
1068:
The demolition finally began to noticeably slow following the passing of the
1456:
1199:
1198:, where Elizabeth Bennet and her aunt and uncle are shown around Mr Darcy's
1028:
The apathy towards the nation's heritage continued after the passing of the
1020:
913:
816:
790:
673:
was first introduced in Great Britain in 1799 as a means of subsidising the
319:
1554:" has been included in the title of many articles and books on the subject.
1100:
The public are admitted, around 1905, for a rare glimpse of the gardens at
769:, built in 1695, was subsequently much enlarged. It was demolished in 1921.
1232:
1096:
504:
847:
698:
600:
517:
361:
circa 1900, sold by the Duke of Northumberland, for demolition, to save
1388: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
854:
843:
512:
473:
339:
195:
1221:. A man dedicated to preservation of country houses, he had purchased
1156:
1153:
382:
214:
1873:
Much later during the 1950s, the 9th Duke moved to Wiltshire making
1004:, Britain's largest country house. The Minister of Fuel and Power,
233:
to half its original size, destroying façades and interiors by both
2892:
1415:
1231:
1113:, often 19th-century additions, were frequently demolished, as at
1095:
1019:
912:
834:
822:"....fancy my not being allowed to make a necessary alteration to
757:
720:
622:
503:
456:
349:
284:
204:
155:
1482:, an important Scottish country house complete with its original
1281:
This can be exemplified by the business ventures executed by the
1215:
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
2147:
1179:
is higher, naturally enough, than anywhere in the countryside.
901:
was also bought, disassembled and shipped across the Atlantic.
191:
advertisement, however, was to prove a hint of things to come.
1357:
1350:. However, the damage to the nation's heritage had been done.
1509:
Category:British country houses destroyed in the 20th century
296:, the seat of the Dukes of Newcastle, was demolished in 1938.
2957:
Researching Strong(e)s and Strang(e)s in Britain and Ireland
1750:, by Rachel and Cecil Fane de Salis, Henley-on-Thames, 1939.
424:, the principal home of the Dukes of Newcastle. Selling the
144:. One firm, Charles Brand of Dundee, demolished at least 56
96:
and return home with art treasures, supposedly brought from
2906:
Published by Legislation.gov.uk. retrieved 3 December 2010.
2900:
Published by Legislation.gov.uk. retrieved 3 December 2010.
2743:
820:
accusing the objectors of "impudence" and going on to say
2978:
Demolished buildings and structures in the United Kingdom
405:
found himself bankrupt in 1848, he sold the contents of
213:
Thus, it was not just the smaller country houses of the
1769:
Binney, Marcus; Robinson, John; Allan, William (1977).
1202:
by the housekeeper. Later in the century, on days when
1159:
plasterwork from the dining room of the Dashwood seat,
1109:
life less dependent on vast numbers of servants. Large
965:
had been demolished in 1920, and its site redeveloped.
871:
Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913
561:; the great house was supplied with food from its own
79:
was the result of a change in social conditions: many
1892:"Biography of Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton-Hope"
77:
destruction of country houses in 20th-century Britain
18:
Destruction of country houses in 20th century Britain
2988:
British country houses destroyed in the 20th century
2603:
Discovering Tong, Its History, Myths and Curiosities
2304:"Saving Britain's Past Episode 3: The Country House"
943:
Royal Commission of Ancient and Historical Monuments
281:
Impoverished owners and a plethora of country houses
121:. The "big house" was the bedrock of rural society.
2916:
Leonard Jacks, The Great Houses of Nottinghamshire.
1325:, eminent architectural historian and president of
988:
Grade II* (buildings of more than special interest)
826:
without first obtaining the leave of some inspector
132:in 1945. Included in the destruction were works by
2707:Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
2235:
2233:
717:History of inheritance taxes in the United Kingdom
2671:(9th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2334:Moving Rooms: the Trade in Architectural Salvages
2184:"Town and Country Planning Act 1932 (section 17)"
1436:in Derbyshire was successful. Writing in 1992 in
754:1882 and 1900 Ancient Monument and Amendment Acts
2284:Town and Country Planning Act 1968 (section 48).
2275:Town and Country Planning Act 1968 (Section 40).
2202:
2200:
2166:
2164:
2725:"The National Archives; Series reference IR 26"
2218:(London); 29 September 2010; Ben Hoyle; p. 55.
2133:
2131:
1514:Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923)
1490:); its contents had already been catalogued by
1227:Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
2094:The National Archives; Series reference IR 26.
571:agricultural depression from the 1870s onwards
2178:
2176:
2090:
2088:
1734:
1732:
8:
2962:Scotland's Places; Bathgate, Balbardie House
2893:List of ca. 2000 lost English country houses
2553:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
2520:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
2332:The trade has been examined by John Harris,
2023:
2021:
1839:
1837:
1809:
1807:
1148:in New York, as have elements to reassemble
1117:, or allowed to crumble, as was the case at
749:Legislation to protect the national heritage
2993:Former country houses in the United Kingdom
2631:The Complete Works of Robert and James Adam
1918:
1916:
1914:
1912:
1910:
1908:
1524:Destruction of the Country House exhibition
1344:Destruction of the Country House exhibition
1081:Destruction of the Country House exhibition
985:Grade I (buildings of exceptional interest)
124:Since 1900, 1,200 country houses have been
2344:
2342:
2105:"Outer House, Court of Session (A1497/02)"
2057:. HM Revenue & Customs. Archived from
2031:. HM Revenue & Customs. Archived from
2001:. HM Revenue & Customs. Archived from
1616:
1614:
468:in Cheshire was demolished in 1963 by the
109:employment, housing, and patronage to the
1420:Following a campaign in the early 1980s,
1404:Learn how and when to remove this message
541:were raised to all-time highs by the new
2529:Devonshire, Deborah, Duchess of (2010).
2494:Devonshire, Deborah, Duchess of (2002).
1562:
1560:
365:. One of the Duke’s five country houses.
50:was so lavish that in 1873 the visiting
2836:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
2622:The Town and Country Planning Act, 1947
2310:. Open University. 2009. Archived from
1967:
1955:
1943:
1931:
1534:
1497:British country house contents auctions
529:indifference that met the destruction.
2826:
2816:
2546:
2513:
1759:Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, p. 60.
1519:Country house conversion to apartments
1175:, London, where the incidence of lost
798:acting on a whim wished to dispose of
172:, on 4 May 1912, the British magazine
2851:. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
2740:"RCAHMS: Exploring Scotland's Places"
2399:"Knebworth: The Stately Home of Rock"
1450:Waugh was writing of the survival of
779:Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1900
775:Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882
729:style, was allowed to fall into ruin.
576:large house of equal status in London
7:
2669:A Practical Approach to Planning Law
2650:Some Country Houses and Their Owners
2386:Some Country Houses and Their Owners
2248:Class-war quote, Lees-Milne, p. 132.
2239:English Heritage, "Listed Buildings"
2148:"Agescroft Hall, Richmond, Virginia"
1881:estate, the family's principal home.
1597:. Yale University Press. p. 2.
1386:adding citations to reliable sources
1253:Trust's representative, the diarist
737:In 1853, a new tax was introduced, "
520:within metres of the medieval walls.
2952:The archaeology of the Great Famine
2904:Town and Country Planning Act 1968
2898:Town and Country Planning Act 1932
2565:. English Heritage. Archived from
1092:Re-evaluation of the country house
1070:Town and Country Planning Act 1968
1064:Town and Country Planning Act 1968
1030:Town and Country Planning Act 1947
1016:Town and Country Planning Act 1947
975:Town and Country Planning Act 1944
969:Town and Country Planning Act 1944
909:Town and Country Planning Act 1932
168:Two years before the beginning of
25:
2778:Stuart, Amanda Mackenzie (2005).
2620:Kerrigan, S P; Hill, M A (1948).
1569:"Country houses: the lost legacy"
1248:" and facing an uncertain future.
961:. The Devonshires' London house,
545:Government that swept into power
164:' contents highlighted the issue.
2928:Wolverhampton's Listed Buildings
2802:Obituary of the Marquess of Bath
2688:Madresfield, The Real Brideshead
2055:"World War I and a new approach"
1595:Life in the English county house
1362:
1321:. The high profile campaign of
61:
36:
2709:. London: Sweet & Maxwell.
2624:. London: Butterworth & Co.
1567:Worsley, Giles (15 June 2002).
1373:needs additional citations for
661:Loss of wealth through taxation
2500:. Derbyshire Countryside Ltd.
697:of 1909 announced plans for a
553:Loss of income from the estate
1:
2799:Vickers, Hugo (1 July 1992).
1679:. 23 March 1912. p. 430; and
865:, and was demolished in 1935.
604:against his local candidate.
590:, sought American heiresses.
330:, London, a prime example of
2983:Houses in the United Kingdom
2922:Nuthall Temple by Mrs Holden
1771:SAVE Mentmore for the Nation
1675:. 17 February 1912. p. 244;
1671:. 9 September 1911. p. 377;
814:to write an irate letter to
2460:. Save Britain's Heritage.
2388:is dedicated to this theme.
565:(for meat and dairy) and a
257:government refused to save
3009:
2964:retrieved 9 December 2010.
2918:retrieved 9 December 2010.
2648:Lees-Milne, James (2009).
2437:Bailey, Catherine (2007).
1348:Victoria and Albert Museum
1146:Metropolitan Museum of Art
1085:Victoria and Albert Museum
714:
146:country houses in Scotland
1192:describes such a trip in
1167:; and the dining room by
1163:; the tapestry room from
310:, portraying life in the
2759:Rogers, Malcolm (1991).
2705:Mynors, Charles (2006).
2601:Jeffery, Robert (2007).
2423:. p. 17. 31 August 1992.
1999:"A tax to beat Napoleon"
1593:Girouard, Mark (1994) .
1144:has come to rest in the
484:(centre right) survives.
2948:retrieved 25 March 2007
2946:Independence of Ireland
2942:retrieved 25 March 2007
2936:retrieved 23 March 2007
2930:retrieved 23 March 2007
2924:retrieved 23 March 2007
2912:retrieved 22 March 2007
2870:. London: Aurum Press.
2866:Worsley, Giles (2002).
2845:Waugh, Evelyn (1973) .
2633:. Architectural Press.
2605:. Privately Published.
2533:. London: John Murray.
2479:. London: John Murray.
2458:Lost Houses of Scotland
2456:Binney, Marcus (2006).
2348:Vickers, Bath obituary.
2082:- Friday 1 January 1932
1775:Save Britain's Heritage
1327:Save Britain's Heritage
1237:Save Britain's Heritage
885:and thus the export of
594:Loss of political power
581:By 1880, the so-called
472:, Britain's wealthiest
470:4th Duke of Westminster
98:classical civilizations
2940:British History Online
2763:. The National Trust.
2686:Mulvagh, Jane (2006).
2667:Moore, Victor (2005).
2584:Scotland's Lost Houses
2475:Clay, Catrine (2006).
1854:"The History of Stowe"
1429:
1311:pop and rock festivals
1279:
1249:
1105:
1025:
938:Marquess of Hartington
932:
866:
861:, was the seat of the
859:James Gillespie Graham
770:
730:
645:
521:
485:
403:2nd Duke of Buckingham
366:
297:
272:in 2002, and in 2007,
249:by surrendering it to
210:
165:
2868:England's lost Houses
2690:. London: Doubleday.
1419:
1301:and what remained of
1274:
1235:
1099:
1023:
916:
838:
761:
724:
626:
507:
460:
353:
312:English country house
288:
208:
159:
152:Historical background
2848:Brideshead Revisited
2784:. Harper Perennial.
2629:King, David (2001).
2586:. Trafalgar Square.
2029:"Income Tax is Back"
1790:Brideshead Revisited
1459:in Bedfordshire and
1382:improve this article
1346:held in 1974 by the
1309:, became venues for
1268:Brideshead Revisited
1239:'s campaign to save
1183:Stately home tourism
1010:his socialist sister
559:farms let to tenants
328:Northumberland House
307:Brideshead Revisited
2910:St Louis Art Museum
2421:The Daily Telegraph
1988:Jeffery, chapter 5.
1792:, closing chapters.
1573:The Daily Telegraph
1439:The Daily Telegraph
1195:Pride and Prejudice
1002:Wentworth Woodhouse
957:, now owned by the
704:Parliament Act 1911
618:Parliament Act 1911
588:Duke of Marlborough
420:Less fortunate was
413:and his heirs, the
391:Duke of Marlborough
332:English Renaissance
140:and the monumental
2746:on 4 December 2008
2569:on 26 January 2013
2563:"Listed Buildings"
2477:King, Kaiser, Tsar
2107:. 13 February 2004
1748:Notes of past days
1430:
1265:second edition of
1250:
1246:officially at risk
1134:Richmond, Virginia
1106:
1026:
933:
879:Tattershall Castle
867:
796:Duke of Sutherland
771:
765:, the seat of the
731:
646:
522:
486:
411:Duke of Buckingham
367:
298:
243:Duke of Devonshire
211:
166:
2858:978-0-316-92634-8
2791:978-0-06-093825-3
2697:978-0-385-60772-8
2659:978-0-14-119090-7
2652:. Penguin Books.
2612:978-0-9555089-0-5
2582:Gow, Ian (2006).
2540:978-1-84854-190-0
2448:978-0-670-91542-2
2401:. Knebworth House
2061:on 2 October 2011
2035:on 2 October 2011
1708:on 25 August 2006
1604:978-0-300-05870-3
1452:Brympton d'Evercy
1414:
1413:
1406:
1119:West Wycombe Park
1115:Sandringham House
1102:Brympton d'Evercy
1083:held at London's
840:Blytheswood House
767:Dukes of Hamilton
462:Alfred Waterhouse
219:Alfred Waterhouse
16:(Redirected from
3000:
2881:
2862:
2841:
2834:
2828:
2824:
2822:
2814:
2812:
2810:
2795:
2774:
2755:
2753:
2751:
2735:
2733:
2731:
2720:
2701:
2682:
2663:
2644:
2625:
2616:
2597:
2578:
2576:
2574:
2558:
2552:
2544:
2525:
2519:
2511:
2490:
2471:
2452:
2424:
2417:
2411:
2410:
2408:
2406:
2395:
2389:
2382:
2376:
2373:
2367:
2364:
2358:
2355:
2349:
2346:
2337:
2330:
2324:
2323:
2321:
2319:
2300:
2294:
2291:
2285:
2282:
2276:
2273:
2267:
2264:
2258:
2255:
2249:
2246:
2240:
2237:
2228:
2225:
2219:
2213:
2207:
2204:
2195:
2194:
2192:
2190:
2180:
2171:
2168:
2159:
2158:
2156:
2154:
2144:
2138:
2135:
2126:
2123:
2117:
2116:
2114:
2112:
2101:
2095:
2092:
2083:
2077:
2071:
2070:
2068:
2066:
2051:
2045:
2044:
2042:
2040:
2025:
2016:
2014:
2012:
2010:
1995:
1989:
1986:
1980:
1977:
1971:
1965:
1959:
1953:
1947:
1941:
1935:
1929:
1923:
1920:
1903:
1902:
1900:
1898:
1888:
1882:
1871:
1865:
1864:
1862:
1860:
1850:
1844:
1841:
1832:
1829:
1823:
1820:
1814:
1811:
1802:
1799:
1793:
1786:
1780:
1778:
1766:
1760:
1757:
1751:
1745:
1739:
1738:Mulvagh, p. 321.
1736:
1727:
1724:
1718:
1717:
1715:
1713:
1698:
1692:
1666:
1660:
1654:
1648:
1645:
1639:
1636:
1630:
1627:
1621:
1618:
1609:
1608:
1590:
1584:
1583:
1581:
1579:
1564:
1555:
1548:
1542:
1539:
1409:
1402:
1398:
1395:
1389:
1366:
1358:
1339:general election
1299:Chatsworth House
1283:Marquess of Bath
1255:James Lees-Milne
1177:great residences
1161:Kirtlington Park
1152:, including the
1058:James Lees-Milne
979:listed buildings
963:Devonshire House
930:
863:Lords Blythswood
609:Third Reform Act
119:cottage hospital
89:British nobility
65:
40:
21:
3008:
3007:
3003:
3002:
3001:
2999:
2998:
2997:
2968:
2967:
2889:
2884:
2878:
2865:
2859:
2844:
2835:
2825:
2815:
2808:
2806:
2798:
2792:
2777:
2771:
2761:Montacute House
2758:
2749:
2747:
2738:
2729:
2727:
2723:
2717:
2704:
2698:
2685:
2679:
2666:
2660:
2647:
2641:
2628:
2619:
2613:
2600:
2594:
2581:
2572:
2570:
2561:
2545:
2541:
2528:
2512:
2508:
2493:
2487:
2474:
2468:
2455:
2449:
2436:
2432:
2427:
2419:Auberon Waugh.
2418:
2414:
2404:
2402:
2397:
2396:
2392:
2383:
2379:
2374:
2370:
2365:
2361:
2356:
2352:
2347:
2340:
2331:
2327:
2317:
2315:
2314:on 16 June 2010
2302:
2301:
2297:
2293:Worsley, p. 23.
2292:
2288:
2283:
2279:
2274:
2270:
2266:Bailey, p. 399.
2265:
2261:
2257:Bailey, p. 381.
2256:
2252:
2247:
2243:
2238:
2231:
2227:Worsley, p. 17.
2226:
2222:
2214:
2210:
2205:
2198:
2188:
2186:
2182:
2181:
2174:
2169:
2162:
2152:
2150:
2146:
2145:
2141:
2136:
2129:
2124:
2120:
2110:
2108:
2103:
2102:
2098:
2093:
2086:
2080:Western Gazette
2078:
2074:
2064:
2062:
2053:
2052:
2048:
2038:
2036:
2027:
2026:
2019:
2008:
2006:
2005:on 24 July 2010
1997:
1996:
1992:
1987:
1983:
1979:Girouard, p. 2.
1978:
1974:
1966:
1962:
1954:
1950:
1942:
1938:
1930:
1926:
1921:
1906:
1896:
1894:
1890:
1889:
1885:
1872:
1868:
1858:
1856:
1852:
1851:
1847:
1843:Stuart, p. 135.
1842:
1835:
1830:
1826:
1822:Worsley, p. 10.
1821:
1817:
1813:Worsley, p. 12.
1812:
1805:
1800:
1796:
1787:
1783:
1768:
1767:
1763:
1758:
1754:
1746:
1742:
1737:
1730:
1726:Worsley, p. 95.
1725:
1721:
1711:
1709:
1700:
1699:
1695:
1667:
1663:
1655:
1651:
1646:
1642:
1637:
1633:
1628:
1624:
1619:
1612:
1605:
1592:
1591:
1587:
1577:
1575:
1566:
1565:
1558:
1549:
1545:
1540:
1536:
1532:
1505:
1410:
1399:
1393:
1390:
1379:
1367:
1356:
1335:James Callaghan
1319:Mentmore Towers
1307:Knebworth House
1295:Blenheim Palace
1241:Mentmore Towers
1223:Montacute House
1185:
1173:Lansdowne House
1142:Cassiobury Park
1140:staircase from
1094:
1074:listed building
1066:
1018:
971:
926:
911:
812:Duke of Rutland
763:Hamilton Palace
756:
751:
739:succession duty
719:
713:
695:People's Budget
683:Sir Robert Peel
675:Napoleonic Wars
668:
663:
634:Royal Engineers
631:
596:
583:Long Depression
555:
491:white elephants
455:
439:North Yorkshire
397:by marrying an
395:Blenheim Palace
359:North Yorkshire
294:Nottinghamshire
283:
235:Henry Flitcroft
227:Duke of Bedford
162:Mentmore Towers
154:
142:Hamilton Palace
138:Balbardie House
73:
72:
71:
70:
69:
66:
57:
56:
55:
41:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
3006:
3004:
2996:
2995:
2990:
2985:
2980:
2970:
2969:
2966:
2965:
2959:
2954:
2949:
2943:
2937:
2931:
2925:
2919:
2913:
2907:
2901:
2895:
2888:
2887:External links
2885:
2883:
2882:
2876:
2863:
2857:
2842:
2796:
2790:
2775:
2769:
2756:
2736:
2721:
2715:
2702:
2696:
2683:
2677:
2664:
2658:
2645:
2639:
2626:
2617:
2611:
2598:
2592:
2579:
2559:
2539:
2526:
2506:
2491:
2485:
2472:
2466:
2453:
2447:
2439:Black Diamonds
2433:
2431:
2428:
2426:
2425:
2412:
2390:
2377:
2368:
2366:Rogers, p. 32.
2359:
2350:
2338:
2325:
2295:
2286:
2277:
2268:
2259:
2250:
2241:
2229:
2220:
2208:
2206:Mynors, p. 11.
2196:
2172:
2170:Mynors, p. 10.
2160:
2139:
2127:
2118:
2096:
2084:
2072:
2046:
2017:
1990:
1981:
1972:
1968:Worsley (2002)
1960:
1956:Worsley (2002)
1948:
1944:Worsley (2002)
1936:
1932:Worsley (2002)
1924:
1922:Worsley, p. 9.
1904:
1883:
1866:
1845:
1833:
1824:
1815:
1803:
1794:
1781:
1761:
1752:
1740:
1728:
1719:
1693:
1661:
1649:
1640:
1631:
1622:
1620:Worsley, p. 7.
1610:
1603:
1585:
1556:
1543:
1533:
1531:
1528:
1527:
1526:
1521:
1516:
1511:
1504:
1501:
1499:still happen.
1480:Dumfries House
1476:North Somerset
1472:Gothic Revival
1470:, a Victorian
1461:Hartwell House
1426:National Trust
1412:
1411:
1370:
1368:
1361:
1355:
1352:
1333:Government of
1287:Longleat House
1204:Belvoir Castle
1184:
1181:
1093:
1090:
1065:
1062:
1046:corps de logis
1042:Lord Lansdowne
1017:
1014:
1006:Manny Shinwell
993:
992:
989:
986:
970:
967:
959:National Trust
947:House of Lords
928:Grade I listed
910:
907:
899:Virginia House
755:
752:
750:
747:
712:
709:
667:
664:
662:
659:
595:
592:
567:kitchen garden
554:
551:
454:
451:
431:Alnwick Castle
363:Alnwick Castle
282:
279:
274:Dumfries House
153:
150:
111:village school
81:country houses
67:
60:
59:
58:
52:Shah of Persia
42:
35:
34:
33:
32:
31:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
3005:
2994:
2991:
2989:
2986:
2984:
2981:
2979:
2976:
2975:
2973:
2963:
2960:
2958:
2955:
2953:
2950:
2947:
2944:
2941:
2938:
2935:
2932:
2929:
2926:
2923:
2920:
2917:
2914:
2911:
2908:
2905:
2902:
2899:
2896:
2894:
2891:
2890:
2886:
2879:
2877:1-85410-820-4
2873:
2869:
2864:
2860:
2854:
2850:
2849:
2843:
2839:
2832:
2820:
2804:
2803:
2797:
2793:
2787:
2783:
2782:
2776:
2772:
2770:0-7078-0138-9
2766:
2762:
2757:
2745:
2741:
2737:
2726:
2722:
2718:
2716:0-421-75830-9
2712:
2708:
2703:
2699:
2693:
2689:
2684:
2680:
2678:0-19-927279-4
2674:
2670:
2665:
2661:
2655:
2651:
2646:
2642:
2640:0-7506-4468-0
2636:
2632:
2627:
2623:
2618:
2614:
2608:
2604:
2599:
2595:
2593:1-84513-051-0
2589:
2585:
2580:
2568:
2564:
2560:
2556:
2550:
2542:
2536:
2532:
2527:
2523:
2517:
2509:
2507:0-85100-118-1
2503:
2499:
2498:
2492:
2488:
2486:0-7195-6536-7
2482:
2478:
2473:
2469:
2467:0-905978-05-6
2463:
2459:
2454:
2450:
2444:
2440:
2435:
2434:
2429:
2422:
2416:
2413:
2400:
2394:
2391:
2387:
2381:
2378:
2375:Rogers, p. 5.
2372:
2369:
2363:
2360:
2354:
2351:
2345:
2343:
2339:
2335:
2329:
2326:
2313:
2309:
2305:
2299:
2296:
2290:
2287:
2281:
2278:
2272:
2269:
2263:
2260:
2254:
2251:
2245:
2242:
2236:
2234:
2230:
2224:
2221:
2217:
2212:
2209:
2203:
2201:
2197:
2185:
2179:
2177:
2173:
2167:
2165:
2161:
2149:
2143:
2140:
2137:Mynors, p. 9.
2134:
2132:
2128:
2125:Mynors, p. 8.
2122:
2119:
2106:
2100:
2097:
2091:
2089:
2085:
2081:
2076:
2073:
2060:
2056:
2050:
2047:
2034:
2030:
2024:
2022:
2018:
2004:
2000:
1994:
1991:
1985:
1982:
1976:
1973:
1969:
1964:
1961:
1957:
1952:
1949:
1945:
1940:
1937:
1933:
1928:
1925:
1919:
1917:
1915:
1913:
1911:
1909:
1905:
1893:
1887:
1884:
1880:
1876:
1870:
1867:
1855:
1849:
1846:
1840:
1838:
1834:
1828:
1825:
1819:
1816:
1810:
1808:
1804:
1798:
1795:
1791:
1785:
1782:
1777:. p. 13.
1776:
1772:
1765:
1762:
1756:
1753:
1749:
1744:
1741:
1735:
1733:
1729:
1723:
1720:
1707:
1703:
1697:
1694:
1690:
1689:Edwin Lutyens
1686:
1682:
1678:
1674:
1670:
1665:
1662:
1658:
1653:
1650:
1644:
1641:
1635:
1632:
1626:
1623:
1617:
1615:
1611:
1606:
1600:
1596:
1589:
1586:
1574:
1570:
1563:
1561:
1557:
1553:
1547:
1544:
1538:
1535:
1529:
1525:
1522:
1520:
1517:
1515:
1512:
1510:
1507:
1506:
1502:
1500:
1498:
1493:
1489:
1485:
1481:
1477:
1473:
1469:
1464:
1462:
1458:
1453:
1448:
1445:
1444:Auberon Waugh
1441:
1440:
1435:
1427:
1423:
1418:
1408:
1405:
1397:
1387:
1383:
1377:
1376:
1371:This section
1369:
1365:
1360:
1359:
1353:
1351:
1349:
1345:
1342:high-profile
1340:
1336:
1332:
1328:
1324:
1323:Marcus Binney
1320:
1314:
1312:
1308:
1304:
1300:
1296:
1292:
1288:
1284:
1278:
1273:
1270:
1269:
1263:
1258:
1256:
1247:
1242:
1238:
1234:
1230:
1228:
1224:
1220:
1216:
1213:In 1898, the
1211:
1209:
1205:
1201:
1197:
1196:
1191:
1182:
1180:
1178:
1174:
1170:
1166:
1162:
1158:
1155:
1151:
1147:
1143:
1139:
1135:
1131:
1130:Agecroft Hall
1127:
1126:chimneypieces
1122:
1120:
1116:
1112:
1111:service wings
1103:
1098:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1082:
1077:
1075:
1071:
1063:
1061:
1059:
1055:
1051:
1047:
1043:
1038:
1035:
1031:
1022:
1015:
1013:
1011:
1007:
1003:
999:
990:
987:
984:
983:
982:
980:
976:
968:
966:
964:
960:
956:
955:Hardwick Hall
950:
948:
944:
939:
929:
924:
920:
915:
908:
906:
902:
900:
896:
895:Agecroft Hall
890:
888:
887:Lord Cromwell
884:
880:
875:
872:
864:
860:
856:
853:
849:
845:
841:
837:
833:
831:
827:
825:
819:
818:
813:
809:
808:Staffordshire
805:
801:
800:Trentham Hall
797:
792:
787:
783:
780:
776:
768:
764:
760:
753:
748:
746:
742:
740:
735:
728:
723:
718:
710:
708:
705:
700:
696:
691:
690:H. H. Asquith
686:
684:
680:
676:
672:
665:
660:
658:
654:
652:
643:
639:
635:
629:
625:
621:
619:
615:
610:
605:
602:
593:
591:
589:
584:
579:
577:
572:
568:
564:
560:
552:
550:
548:
544:
540:
534:
530:
527:
519:
514:
510:
506:
502:
500:
494:
492:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
453:Direct causes
452:
450:
448:
444:
440:
436:
435:Stanwick Park
432:
427:
423:
418:
416:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
387:
384:
380:
376:
372:
364:
360:
356:
355:Stanwick Park
352:
348:
344:
341:
336:
333:
329:
324:
322:
321:
315:
313:
309:
308:
303:
295:
291:
287:
280:
278:
275:
271:
267:
262:
260:
256:
252:
251:H.M. Treasury
248:
247:Hardwick Hall
244:
240:
239:Henry Holland
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
207:
203:
201:
200:Castle Howard
197:
192:
190:
186:
181:
180:Trentham Hall
177:
176:
171:
163:
158:
151:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
122:
120:
116:
115:parish church
112:
107:
106:Edwin Lutyens
101:
99:
95:
90:
85:
82:
78:
64:
53:
49:
48:Staffordshire
45:
44:Trentham Hall
39:
30:
19:
2867:
2847:
2807:. Retrieved
2801:
2780:
2760:
2748:. Retrieved
2744:the original
2728:. Retrieved
2706:
2687:
2668:
2649:
2630:
2621:
2602:
2583:
2571:. Retrieved
2567:the original
2530:
2496:
2476:
2457:
2438:
2430:Bibliography
2420:
2415:
2403:. Retrieved
2393:
2385:
2384:Lees-Milne,
2380:
2371:
2362:
2353:
2333:
2328:
2318:26 September
2316:. Retrieved
2312:the original
2307:
2298:
2289:
2280:
2271:
2262:
2253:
2244:
2223:
2215:
2211:
2187:. Retrieved
2151:. Retrieved
2142:
2121:
2109:. Retrieved
2099:
2079:
2075:
2063:. Retrieved
2059:the original
2049:
2037:. Retrieved
2033:the original
2007:. Retrieved
2003:the original
1993:
1984:
1975:
1970:, p. 11
1963:
1958:, p. 20
1951:
1946:, p. 21
1939:
1927:
1895:. Retrieved
1886:
1869:
1857:. Retrieved
1848:
1827:
1818:
1797:
1789:
1784:
1770:
1764:
1755:
1747:
1743:
1722:
1710:. Retrieved
1706:the original
1696:
1681:Country Life
1680:
1677:Country Life
1676:
1673:Country Life
1672:
1669:Country Life
1668:
1664:
1657:Country Life
1656:
1652:
1643:
1634:
1625:
1594:
1588:
1576:. Retrieved
1572:
1551:
1546:
1541:Clay, p. 56.
1537:
1465:
1449:
1437:
1431:
1400:
1391:
1380:Please help
1375:verification
1372:
1315:
1303:Woburn Abbey
1280:
1275:
1266:
1259:
1251:
1212:
1193:
1186:
1165:Croome Court
1150:period rooms
1123:
1107:
1078:
1067:
1052:designed by
1039:
1034:Woburn Abbey
1027:
994:
972:
951:
934:
923:Bowood House
903:
891:
876:
868:
857:designed by
852:neoclassical
821:
815:
788:
784:
772:
743:
736:
732:
727:chateauesque
711:Death duties
687:
669:
655:
650:
647:
642:Lord Newport
614:ruling class
606:
597:
580:
556:
539:death duties
535:
531:
526:stately home
523:
509:Beaupré Hall
499:World War II
495:
487:
482:Eaton Chapel
478:modern house
447:death duties
443:Woburn Abbey
426:Hope Diamond
422:Clumber Park
419:
415:Earls Temple
388:
379:Neoclassical
368:
345:
337:
325:
318:
316:
305:
302:Evelyn Waugh
299:
290:Clumber Park
263:
231:Woburn Abbey
229:had reduced
212:
193:
189:Country Life
188:
175:Country Life
173:
167:
136:, including
130:World War II
123:
102:
86:
76:
74:
29:
2827:|work=
2531:Wait For me
2441:. Penguin.
1934:, p. 8
1877:, a former
1712:10 December
1685:Norman Shaw
1552:Lost houses
1488:Charles III
1484:Chippendale
1474:mansion in
1468:Tyntesfield
1434:Calke Abbey
1422:Calke Abbey
1291:safari park
1262:family seat
1219:Ernest Cook
1190:Jane Austen
1169:Robert Adam
1054:Robert Adam
919:Robert Adam
883:Lord Curzon
830:Haddon Hall
628:Tong Castle
433:, but sold
407:Stowe House
270:Tyntesfield
266:Calke Abbey
170:World War I
134:Robert Adam
2972:Categories
2809:1 December
2497:Chatsworth
2009:9 December
1773:. London:
1578:9 December
1530:References
1354:The future
1208:Lady Diana
998:Winchelsea
806:palace in
804:Italianate
715:See also:
671:Income tax
666:Income tax
466:Eaton Hall
223:Eaton Hall
221:'s Gothic
126:demolished
94:Grand Tour
2934:BBC.CO.UK
2829:ignored (
2819:cite book
2549:cite book
2516:cite book
2308:open2.net
2216:The Times
1492:Sotheby's
1457:Luton Hoo
1200:Pemberley
945:, in the
817:The Times
802:, a vast
791:neolithic
563:home farm
518:bungalows
375:Palladian
320:The Times
304:'s novel
2805:. London
2750:8 August
2730:8 August
2573:8 August
2405:8 August
2189:8 August
2153:8 August
2111:8 August
2065:8 August
2039:8 August
1897:6 August
1859:6 August
1503:See also
1394:May 2023
1157:stuccoed
1138:Carolean
848:Scotland
699:supertax
679:Waterloo
601:suffrage
259:Mentmore
196:trustees
117:, and a
2336:, 2007.
1788:Waugh,
1647:RCAHMS.
1629:Binney.
1337:with a
855:mansion
844:Renfrew
651:in situ
547:in 1945
513:Outwell
399:heiress
371:Baroque
340:probate
185:Lutyens
2874:
2855:
2788:
2767:
2713:
2694:
2675:
2656:
2637:
2609:
2590:
2537:
2504:
2483:
2464:
2445:
1875:Boyton
1601:
1331:Labour
1154:rococo
1136:. The
1050:Bowood
824:Haddon
789:While
543:Labour
393:saved
383:gentry
255:Labour
245:saved
241:. The
215:gentry
1171:from
300:When
2872:ISBN
2853:ISBN
2838:link
2831:help
2811:2010
2786:ISBN
2765:ISBN
2752:2011
2732:2011
2711:ISBN
2692:ISBN
2673:ISBN
2654:ISBN
2635:ISBN
2607:ISBN
2588:ISBN
2575:2011
2555:link
2535:ISBN
2522:link
2502:ISBN
2481:ISBN
2462:ISBN
2443:ISBN
2407:2011
2320:2021
2191:2011
2155:2011
2113:2011
2067:2011
2041:2011
2011:2010
1899:2011
1879:Fane
1861:2011
1714:2010
1687:and
1638:Gow.
1599:ISBN
1580:2010
973:The
869:The
850:, a
773:The
638:T.A.
607:The
474:peer
377:and
237:and
87:The
75:The
1384:by
1285:at
1048:of
921:'s
511:in
464:'s
437:in
357:in
292:in
198:of
46:in
2974::
2823::
2821:}}
2817:{{
2551:}}
2547:{{
2518:}}
2514:{{
2341:^
2306:.
2232:^
2199:^
2175:^
2163:^
2130:^
2087:^
2020:^
1907:^
1836:^
1806:^
1731:^
1613:^
1571:.
1559:^
1297:,
1121:.
846:,
842:,
578:.
480:.
449:.
373:,
113:,
2880:.
2861:.
2840:)
2833:)
2813:.
2794:.
2773:.
2754:.
2734:.
2719:.
2700:.
2681:.
2662:.
2643:.
2615:.
2596:.
2577:.
2557:)
2543:.
2524:)
2510:.
2489:.
2470:.
2451:.
2409:.
2322:.
2193:.
2157:.
2115:.
2069:.
2043:.
2015:.
2013:.
1901:.
1863:.
1779:.
1716:.
1691:.
1607:.
1582:.
1550:"
1428:.
1407:)
1401:(
1396:)
1392:(
1378:.
1244:"
931:.
636:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
