One of Britain’s greatest contributions to the visual arts is the English Landscape Garden, a form of garden design that was refined at the magnificent stately home, Castle Howard, in North Yorkshire. Pinning these new landscapes together were follies. Built in the early 18th Century, The Temple of the Four Winds is an ornate classical temple that represented the revolutionary intersection of art, poetry and politics. In this episode, Rory explores the society in which the Temple was built and imagines the secret club it might once have entertained.
One of Britain’s most bizarre buildings, Rushton Triangular Lodge is the story of a man’s faith translated into brick and stone.
While imprisoned by Elizabeth Tudor’s Protestant Government, the staunchly Catholic aristocrat Sir Thomas Tresham dreamt up a banqueting house covered in cryptic code...
Childhood memories of the Canary Islands and a joint sabbatical in Spain became key influences on the design of Emma and Tom Lane’s finca inspired home, set amongst 120 acres of Byron hinterland. A last-minute halt to the demolition of a 1980’s farmhouse on the property saw the Lane’s come up wit...
Sally McGarry grew up in Fenner House, a home designed by eminent Australian architect Robin Boyd and commissioned by her grandfather, Professor Frank Fenner, a virologist and pioneer of environmental design. Fond childhood memories of garden parties and family gatherings at Fenner House inspired...