Author Archives: Castles of the Realm

I turn the kaleidoscope wheel with my finger and peer in. Glorious slices of colours sweep past. After purchasing the handtooled object at an art gallery in Wales, I think about how much of that beautiful country I’d love to slip into a suitcase and fly back to Canada: The warmth of the people, the … Continue reading »

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the first issue of the Anglotopia magazine in February. Subscribe today to receive the next issue of our magazine and read about British History, Culture and Travel all in one place. Issue 2 is now available – order before it sells out!  © thecoach1 One of the great … Continue reading »

Derbyshire is blessed with many things – and one thing that the county isn’t short of is tourist attractions. From the stunning stately homes of Chatsworth, Kedleston Hall and Calke Abbey to theme parks, museums, cable cars and even an aquarium, there is a lot to be discovered. And not all the attractions cost a … Continue reading »

Comments (0) Ashton House in Chaffcombe “faces the inimitable expanse of open country, diversified by Somerset’s eternal hill, flourishing woods and smiling pastures” according to the 1931 publication Somersetshire Country Houses and Villages. Perhaps surprisingly not a listed property, this Edwardian country house was built in 1914 by Colonel Noblett to his design in a beautiful … Continue reading »

The classic middle-class desire to move to a house in the country with fine period features and glorious gardens shows no sign of easing, despite the chancellor’s increase in stamp duty on high-end properties. Prices have been rising in the prime country-house market for 13 consecutive quarters, the longest period of sustained price growth since … Continue reading »

Three years ago the 360-acre Newhall Estate three miles outside Ennis in Co Clare was offered for €5m. Having failed to sell, it’s now going for auction in lots in June through Sotheby’s, with the house on 65 acres guiding €500,000 – currently the same price as an apartment on offer at Idrone Terrace in … Continue reading »

If you had the resources, Georgian Ireland must have been a very agreeable place in which to live. It was certainly more prosperous and peaceful than it would be after the 1848 famine. This idyllic world is captured in Patricia McCarthy’s scholarly and highly entertaining work, which stretches from the start of the building of … Continue reading »

The story of Beamond House, the opulent country seat of “super miller” John McCann, began in 1800 when a young McCann arrived in the locale four miles from Drogheda and hacked out a millrace to divert water from the River Nanny and built a grain mill. His first clever step was a careful selection of … Continue reading »

Published: 12:48 EST, 19 May 2016 | Updated: 19:50 EST, 19 May 2016 A stunning Georgian country house that has been home to Second World War soldiers, a ballet school and one of the world’s most impressive collections of pianos has gone on the market for £3million. Finchcocks, in Goudhurst, Kent, is considered to be … Continue reading »