Arley Hall & Gardens is a place of enormous character, charm and interest. Visitors are frequently struck by the warm and intimate atmosphere and the feeling that Arley is a much-cherished family home.

The Gardens, which are amongst the finest in Britain, are outstanding for their vitality, variety and historical interest and are particularly celebrated for the magnificent double herbaceous border.

To become a Season Ticket Holder at Arley, download the application fo… (View original article)

Britain’s country house hotels took off post-war, when increasing numbers of city workers sought the tranquillity of the countryside for short breaks. As the concept grew ever more popular, growing numbers of private homes were converted into hotels. But with hundreds to choose from today, how do you know where to start? We think these are the best of the bunch, ranging from those with 11 bedrooms right up to those with well over 100. Whether you want traditional, old-school or a … (View original article)

By Abigail ButcherSpecial to the Star

Thu., May 12, 2016

WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND-Just nine kilometres from the historic city of Bath, set in the rolling Cotswolds, Lucknam Park — a 17th-century, mansion-turned-country-house hotel — oozes the best of British style, elegance, service and cuisine. Oh, and an outstanding spa.

PRICE: From $490 (Canadian) per night for a classic double room to $2,530 for the Grand Master Suite, both prices are based o… (View original article)

A country house in West Sussex, an hour and a half by train south of London, is about to hit the market for £6 million ($11 million). Designed by Edwin Lutyens, arguably the most famous father of Arts and Crafts architecture (you’ve seen one of his ubiquitous garden benches, even if you don’t know his name), the manor house known as Little Thakeham, near the village of Storrington, dates to 1902 and sits on a 3.2 rolling acres comprising big, elaborate formal gardens. It’s said to be one of … (View original article)

A country house in West Sussex, an hour and a half by train from London, is about to hit the market for £6 million ($8.6 million). Designed by Edwin Lutyens, arguably the most famous father of Arts and Crafts architecture (you’ve seen one of his benches, even if you don’t know his name), the manor house known as Little Thakeham dates to 1902 and sits on a 3.2 rolling acres comprising big, elaborate formal gardens. The gardens have been notable for more than a century: In 1904, visiting the h… (View original article)

However, 15 years after the affair, the then Bishop of Wales, Alwyn Rice Jones, made contact out of the blue, and invited him back into the fold.

“Returning to the church was something I agonised about,” he says. “You can’t put it right, but you can demonstrate that there is remorse, that you are sorry, that you want to live in away that makes atonement. For me that feeling was strong and it partly drove the decision to go back.”

Today, he is still involved with four churches… (View original article)

Published:
04:01 EST, 17 May 2016
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Updated:
04:30 EST, 17 May 2016

Australia’s most beautiful and original houses have opened their doors to the public as they compete against each other for the title of House of the Year.

From a collapsing Victorian weatherboard cottage transformed into a modern family home, to a converted 125-year-old Chocolate factory, over 150 homes across nine categories have been entered into the competition

Categories include Best New… (View original article)

New country houses that successfully depart from a recognised vernacular are a tough challenge for even the most accomplished architect. Geoff Heath-Taylor assembles some award-winning examples built over the past five years.

Flint House
Winner of the RIBA House of the Year award 2015, the Flint House, commissioned by Lord Rothschild for his estate at Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, uses local building materials to match its setting in the landscape. Conceived as two wedges t… (View original article)

Published:
09:48 EST, 12 May 2016
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Updated:
12:23 EST, 12 May 2016

Robbie Williams is thought to still be selling the Compton Bassett, Wiltshire home he put on the market in July 2010.

Almost six years on, the father-of-two appears to be having trouble shifting it because it is situated beside a landfill site that was recently extended. 

The news came to light when The Sun reported that Robbie was in a fresh dispute over planning for a fence at the bottom of… (View original article)

Stapleford Park is a country house in Stapleford, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire
Stapleford Park is a country house in Stapleford, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire
Stapleford Park is a country house in Stapleford, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire
Stapleford Park is a country house in Stapleford, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire
Stapleford Park is a country house in Stapleford, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire
Stapleford Park is a country house in Stapleford, nea… (View original article)