Stately treasures of the North West
THE THREE counties of North West England – Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria – contain some of the most handsome and historic country houses in Britain. They span a millennium stretching from the medieval to the Edwardian, with Tudor, Jacobean, Georgian and Gothic Revival in between.
They stretch from the idyllic Lakeland set mansions of Cumbria through the Catholic ‘recusant’ country houses of Lancashire to the elegant half-timbered masterpieces of Cheshire.
Fifteen of the North West’s great houses – plus one spectacular castle – are featured in Barry McLoughlin’s new book about the region’s stately homes as they reopen after the pandemic that has devastated their income. The book is a compilation of articles that first appeared as part of Choices popular ‘Treasures of Britain’ series.
The title – Stately Homes Alone – refers to the fact that they are all independently run, whether by the original owning families, or by trusts or local authorities.
Illustrated in full colour, the 184-page paperback includes detailed descriptions of the houses, their sometimes eccentric owners, their gardens and ghosts, their restoration and how to visit them.
Coronavirus has had a devastating effect on Britain’s tourism and hospitality industry, and the historic houses sector is no exception. Revenue has plummeted as houses have been closed and special events cancelled. The National Trust, for example, reckoned it was set to lose up to £200m in 2020 and planned to make annual savings of £1m.
But independently operated houses have been particularly hard hit, as they
