rior to the early 20th century much of the land within Britain and Ireland formed part of a patchwork of larger and smaller landed estates. These were the territorial power bases of aristocratic families: ownership and control of land was a critical marker of social and economic status. When we think of a landed estate, we tend to conjure up an image of a country house, surrounded by its sprawling outbuildings, gardens and walled parkland. Beyond this core, estates could incorporate dozens or even hundreds of farms and cottages, as well as villages; fields; woodlands; rivers; industrial sites such as mines, quarries and ports; plus buildings such as schools and chapels. They were dominant structures in rural society, with an influence that often stretched into urban and industrial domains.
