England's Thousand Best Houses [Hardcover]

Simon Jenkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 25, 2003

No visitor to Britain—past or present—should be without this glorious guidebook. England’s Thousand Best Houses is a panorama of an ancient heritage, a compendium of a thousand delightful country houses from all periods—all of which are open to the public.

Breathtaking Blenheim Palace, the monumental jewel of Oxfordshire . . . the Duke of Devonshire’s opulent Derbyshire seat of Chatsworth . . . the extraordinary baroque vision of Castle Howard in Yorkshire . . . lesser known gems like Little Morton Hall—all of these celebrated houses come to life and mingle with the yet-to-be discovered. England’s Thousand Best Houses is a must-have for readers from veteran architects to armchair travelers and anyone embarking on an exploration of the stately treasures scattered throughout England.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'By our houses we define ourselves and by them we are known. The Englishman's home is more than his castle. It is his face, his refuge and his family hearth.' So says Simon Jenkins, who set out to create a list that is almost impossible to concoct - the thousand best houses in England. but by "best", Jenkin's doesn't mean big or grand - best means ambiance, character, that unique feeling of being lovingly lived in. And so his list includes everything from Buckingham Palace (three stars) to a small Georgian house in Spitalfield 9four stars), and castles, rectories, farm cottages and prefabs... All English human life is here to be enjoyed. 'The houses of England,' says Jenkins, 'are a treasure trove, a glory of humanity, a wonder of the world." Alright, he might be lacing it a bit with land of hope and glory and all that, but Jenkins has travelled throughout England, from Cornwall to Cumbria, to choose its most impressive, interesting and unusual houses. Not only does he include a full, rich selection of its great and famous houses and estates, but also presents an eclectic mix from the many thousands of towers, castles, halls, abbeys, cottages, private homes - even schools and prisons - of the country. From Blenheim Palace to Milton's Cottage, from Chatsworth to John Lennon's childhood home, from Spencer House to a tiny hop-pickers' shack in Kent, every architectural style and period is included, and setting for almost every kind of English life. Jenkins' only criteria are interest, distinction, and that the property should be open to the public. Check it out. You never know, your gaffe might be there! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Simon Jenkins, author of England’s Thousand Best Churches, is an award-winning journalist, a member of the Millennium Commission, and chair of the Buildings Books Trust.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 992 pages
• Publisher: Studio; First American Edition edition (December 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670033022
• ISBN-13: 978-0670033027
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #787,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Deals of Fun, November 11, 2004

By 

Megan "Megan" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: England's Thousand Best Houses (Hardcover)

This is the second volume in what I hope is a long series of "England's Thousand Best..." and it does not disapoint. It is basically a listing of the thousand houses, all open to the public (though some more accessible than others), that Mr. Jenkins believes to be "the best" in England.

With each listing is a brief description, including an explanation of why Mr. Jenkins put the house on his list. These alone are worth reading, even if you cannot travel to each house, as some of the reasons might surprise you: they range from famous personages associated with the houses to interesting architectural details to important historical events.

If you are looking for a book that offers historical analysis about country houses or the wealthy, this is not it. It is, however, a very interesting travelogue that is essential to anyone who wishes to tour around England and would like to scratch deeper than the usual "Blenheim, Chatsworth, Knole" trifecta. It is also fun for anyone interested in trivia on the subject of architecture or English history, as it is full of anecdotes and facts that one does not usually hear.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough photos, July 15, 2007

By 

Gromer "Gromer" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: England's Thousand Best Houses (Paperback)

More writing than photos - so not very good for armchair travellers. But very good if you are actually there touring around the country.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sumptuous Reading, September 15, 2007

By 

Judy H. (Wichita, KS USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: England's Thousand Best Houses (Hardcover)

I loved this book. It's a chance to catch glimpses of the big houses, a few small houses, and a sprinkling of those in-between.
The author's word pictures are wonderful, and he has quite a sense of humor, so it's fun to read.
The only drawback would be the dearth of pictures - that's a little disappointing, particularly when he's talking about architectural features. There's a glossary for some of these, but pictures would be better for those of us who are not as informed about these things as we should be.