Manor Houses of England [Hardcover]

Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd (Author), Christopher Simon Sykes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2002

Following on the great successes of recently published books on the Great Houses of England, of Wales and of Scotland, here in the same lavish format is a book on the manor houses of England. These smaller scale houses, often of more ancient origin than the "great houses," are scattered all around the country, and range from simple Norman halls to picturesque Tudor manor houses and handsome buildings from the reign of the Stuarts. This is domestic architecture, rather than palaces built to impress the visitor with their owners' power and wealth, and as such they are far more closely related to modern life. Not only is this book redolent in history, but it will suggest architectural and decorative ideas to those building a traditional home. While most of the great houses have now been sold by their original owners, most of the manor houses are still privately owned and lived in as a home. His book covers 40 manor houses in all, each one is beautifully illustrated by specially commissioned photographs and accompanied by a lively, readable text that describes the families that created these marvelous houses.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hugh Montgomery Massingberd has been writing about country houses and their owners since the 1960's. His many include Great Houses of England and Wales, Great Houses of Scotland, and Great Houses of Ireland (Rizzzoli).

Christopher Simon Sykes specializes in the photography of architecture and interiors, and was co-author with Hugh Montgomery Massingberd of his great houses books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Vendome Press (December 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865651566
• ISBN-13: 978-0865651562
• Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 10.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANGLOPHILES REJOICE!, December 17, 2001

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Manor Houses of England (Hardcover)

Anglophiles have cause to rejoice with the publication of this rich tribute to England's stately homes. Over 300 color illustrations present both exteriors and interiors in their somewhat faded but nonetheless unparalleled glory.

For many of us the term "manor house" needs some explanation. "A `manor' is a specific English territorial unit, originally of the nature of a feudal lordship. But a "manor house," while traditionally the seat of the lord of the manor, has come to be regarded as a romantic synonym for a small country house, particularly of the late-medieval Tudor and Stuart periods."

Forty houses were selected from more than 300 possibilities to be presented in this spectacular volume. Each is a rarity not only in appearance but in essence. Steeped in history, each evokes in the viewer visions of chivalry, romance, and mystery.

Presented in chronological order the homes trace the development of England's architecture from the early days of monasticism to the Victorian era. All are currently habitable.

We find that medieval manor houses, minimally, had a Great Hall with several wings crossing it for bedrooms and storage areas. Largely unfortified, these manor houses depended upon moats and gatehouses for safety.

The dawn of the Tudor age brought the Renaissance style to England with homes, as today, built primarily for show. The 18th century saw great Palladian house which later underwent extensive renovation.

"Manor Houses Of England" is a keepsake volume with spectacular photographs accompanied by a fascinating text that includes stories of the families who built these houses.

- Gail Cooke

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful coffee-table book., November 22, 2001

By 

Michael J. Kissimmee (Kissimmee, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manor Houses of England (Hardcover)

Wonderfull photos showcasing proud & stately English homes. You will enjoy trying to pick out which house you'd choose to live in. Sometimes I liked the interiors better than the exteriors & vice-versa. I would have prefered the authors chose only 20 houses (instead of 40) but gave twice the amount of coverage to each one. Although it is a charming book, I rate it only 4 stars because of the following: The need for more in-depth history & info for each house; a map of Britain with locations of the homes would help; I would have liked to see even basic floorplans (there are none); some homes profiled have only a couple of interior photos & one or two external shots.
Having said that, however, it is a great book , just a little too pricey for me.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With fascinating and descriptive information and insights, March 9, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manor Houses of England (Hardcover)

The collaborative effort of writer and British country estates expert Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd and architectural photographer Christopher Simon Sykes, Manor Houses Of England is a stunningly visual and informatively descriptive showcase of great and historic works of British country manor house architecture. Manor Houses Of England is illustrated throughout with full-color photographs on almost every two-page spread and filled from cover to cover with fascinating and descriptive information and insights about the history, construction, use, and present-day status of each these majestic buildings depicted. Very highly recommended for armchair travelers and architecture buffs, Manor Houses Of England is the next best thing to taking a personally guided, on-site tour of these awe-inspiring buildings.