Houses of the National Trust: Outstanding Buildings of Britain

The National Trust cares for a wealth of houses and historic buildings of all types, ranging from the grand to the quirky to the humble. A companion volume to the bestselling Gardens of the National Trust, this captivating book is a guide to some of the greatest architectural treasures in the country, encompassing both interior and exterior design of more than 250 properties. In addition to houses, the book also covers fascinating buildings as diverse as churches, windmills, dovecotes, castles, follies, barns, and even pubs. The book also acts as an overview of the country’s architectural history, with every period covered—the medieval stronghold of Bodiam Castle, Tudor eccentricity in Hardwick Hall, 18th-century grandeur at Kedleston Hall, Victorian splendor at Tyntesfield, and the clean-lined Modernism of The Homewood. The book teems with stories of the people who lived and worked in these buildings: wealthy collectors like Charles Wade at Snowshill, captains of industry like William Armstrong at Cragside, prime ministers like Winston Churchill at Chartwell, and pop stars like John Lennon at Mendips.