A stunning visual record of our most spectacular and scenic country estates that were broken up for sale and lost for ever. A sweeping country estate, with grand house and spectacular gardens and park, would not be the first impression of a visitor to modern suburban Watford. But well into the twentieth century that was exactly what was there – the magnificence of the Cassiobury estate, of which only a modest municipal park survives. Underneath the expanse of Rutland Water lies the once splendid Normanton estate, while Deepdene in Surrey is now memorialised only by an ugly office block. Fortunately, at least photographs live on to remind us of how our landscape looked before death duties, mining subsidence and sometimes the plain impecuniousness of the black sheep in the family took their toll and forced the break-up of all too many historic landed estates. In this elegiac book, a successor to Aurum’s Lost Victorian Britain, John Robinson surveys 20 of the most egregious losses, from Costessy in East Anglia to Lathom in Lancashire, and shows how the deer park, the home farm, the parterre and the cottage garden gave way to the power station, the motorway and the caravan park.
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Review
‘A poignantly illustrated volume. Robinson writes with passion of the fate of ancient landed families…there are numerous spellbinding illustrations.’ – Marcus Binney, Architecture Correspondent
(The Times )‘An eloquent study of some 20 ‘lost’ estates. Dr Robinson is a distinguished architectural historian. There can be few people better placed to tell this story. His introductory essay should be read by anyone interested in the history of land-owning in England.’ – Jeremy Musson
(Country Life magazine )‘Stunning visual record of our most spectacular and scenic country estates…magnificent book.’ 9/10
(Lancashire Evening Post )‘An extremely handsome volume packed to the rafters with fascinating stories and stunning images of now-vanished stately homes…a great book all round’
(Morpeth Herald )‘Informative, trenchant and often poignant book.’
(Eastern Daily Press )‘There is something compelling and evocative about abandoned, lost or ruined homes that appeals to the voyeur in all of us, and this book hits that sweet spot again and again. It is gloriously illustrated with some mesmerising black-and-white pictures of the houses in the pomp. This is the world of Downton Abbey brought to life, or rather death, and all the more interesting for that. Every chapter could form a mini-series in its own right. The accompanying text is a joy, shot through with nostalgia for what has been lost and a disdain for the modern horrors.’
(Welovethisbook.com )'Beautifully rendered book' Five stars*****
(Yorkshire Evening Post )‘Magnificent…this treasure trove of history offers a stunning and heart-breaking photographic record of our most spectacular and scenic country estates’
(Lancashire Evening Post )‘This book doesn’t just tug one’s heart-strings but yanks them heartily…beautifully illustrated’
(The Field )THis book is a particularly powerful and poignant reminder that a house - whether grand or modest - is so much more than bricks and mortar
(This England )'Mr Robinson provides an important introduction whose elegiac tone must not be regarded as undermining its historic acuteness.'
(Contemporary Review )About the Author
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Customer Reviews
The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs from what is obviously the compendious Country Life archive, all in atmospheric black and white, and some of stunning quality - see for example the spreads on Witley Court.
There is some overlap with Giles Worsley's book on lost houses of England (I think seven of these are mentioned in that excellent book), and one overlap (Shillinglee) with the recent book on lost cricket grounds. However this author is just as interested in the estates and what happened to them as in the houses themselves, and there is scholarly but very readable detail about the way the estates were built up and eventually disposed of. Some of the houses described here are not particularly distinguished, but in each article there is something to enjoy, whether it be the conversion to 'agro-bus and golferama' of some fine estate, or Mr Robinson's rejoicing in how well Rutland Water has naturalised after the loss of Normanton. On the other hand, he is very trenchant when he thinks people behaved badly (e.g. at Lathom).
I enjoyed this and recommend it as a good addition to the Aurum Press list of reminders of our lost heritage. Mind you, there is a split infinitive on page 141.
Not a critism just a regret that I can never visit these magnificent houses. We think we live in hard times but reading this, it's nothing new.
I will read this again in the not too distant future.
If you love looking into the past then this book is one to buy.
It is beautifully printed and presented.
A bibliography is required at the end. Read more
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