Country houses were reliant on an intricate hierarchy of servants, each of whom provided an essential skill. Up and Down Stairs brings to life this hierarchy and shows how large numbers of people lived together under strict segregation and how sometimes this segregation was broken, as with the famou[...]

A highly detailed look at the most accomplished English country house interiors, exemplifying English decorating at its best. The English drawing room, a formal place within a house of status where family and honoured guests could retire from the more public arena, is one of the most important rooms[...]

By reading the iconography of a house -- its symbols and images, from coats of arms to fireplace decorations -- we gain a glimpse into the social world of the families who lived there, in this richly illustrated guide to the architecture and history of the classic English country house.[...]