The Country House Podcast

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• Sissinghurst | A Wound Dressed in Wisteria 16.04.2026 46dk

  In April 1930, a young socialite - cheated of her inheritance by the laws of primogeniture - walked into a Kentish ruin; no electricity, no drains, a farmyard of "squalor and slovenly disorder"... and spent what money she had to buy it.Thirty years later, Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson had made what her biographer called her "one magnificent act of creation" - ten garden rooms enclosed in old brick and yew; a tower for her books; and a Spring Garden that Harold called his "life's work".This week, Geoff and Rory return to Sissinghurst; to the Tudor courtier who built the tower, the French prisoners who gave it its name, the marriage that conceived a garden... and the magical moment in April when the Lime Walk blossoms.A spring gardens special - please join us!If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Bournville | The Chocolate Box Utopia 09.04.2026 43dk

  In this episode we travel to Bournville, the extraordinary model village laid out by George Cadbury on the southern fringe of Birmingham. Part garden suburb, part moral experiment, Bournville married vernacular Arts and Crafts architecture to a Quaker vision of dignified working-class life: light, air, gardens, schools and not a pub in sight!Join us as we explore its origins, its architectural character, and the philanthropic convictions that shaped every cottage and cul-de-sac - and ask what this quietly radical corner of England still has to teach us about building well, and building decently, today.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The quiet genius of Rousham 21.03.2026 34dk

  Some gardens demand attention. Rousham simply holds it. Tucked into the Oxfordshire countryside, this is a place where design and landscape speak in the same breath - where structure yields to softness and every view feels both composed and completely inevitable.In this episode of The Country House Podcast, we sit down with Michelle from Woodsford Landscape Designs to unpick what makes Rousham so extraordinary: the planting philosophy, the sense of place, and that rare quality of a garden that feels as though it has always been there, waiting to be discovered.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough 05.03.2026 51dk

  From the marble corridors of Newport to the draughty majesty of Blenheim Palace, Consuelo Vanderbilt was the ultimate 'Dollar Princess' - a woman who was traded in by her parents for a title she never sought.In this episode, we trace her architectural odyssey from the opulence of the Vanderbilts' Gilded Age mansions to her eventual flourishing in the French countryside. It is a story of a gilded cage, the weight of the Marlborough gems and ducal coronets, and the resilient grace of a duchess who finally built a life on her own terms.Please do join us, and let us know your thoughts!If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Knowsley Hall Pt. II | With the Earl of Derby 20.02.2026 41dk

  In this second instalment with our special guest, Teddy, the 19th Earl of Derby, we are guided through the magnificent state rooms of Knowsley Hall, the Derby's privately owned stately home that sits cheek by jowl with the great industrial city of Liverpool!The Earl shares intimate stories behind the world-class Derby Collection and the architectural evolution of the house. In this episode we also explore the realities of succession and running an ancestral seat in the 21st century, detailing how the estate balances heritage preservation with modern commercial enterprise.Please join us for this fascinating look at how a historic powerhouse has adapted to thrive today.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Knowsley Hall Pt. I | With the Earl of Derby 09.02.2026 1sa 1dk

  Join us for an exclusive 3-part series with the Earl and Countess of Derby at the extraordinary Knowsley Hall!In this episode, we peel back the layers of the Stanley dynasty - a family that turned the tide at the Battle of Bosworth Field, and once ruled as Kings of the Isle of Man. In this series, Lord and Lady Derby will give us a tour of Merseyside’s only stately home... sharing personal stories behind its magnificent exterior and world-class collection.From the origins of the famous Derby horse race to the challenges of maintaining a historic house and estate in the 21st century, discover the enduring legacy of one of Britain’s most powerful aristocratic families and the house that they have been entrusted to steward.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Almshouses | Architecture for the soul | Ep. 103 23.01.2026 43dk

  In this episode, we explore how guilt-ridden medieval merchants and eccentric Victorian philanthropists built almshouses - so-called 'hospitals of the soul.' We deconstruct the classic almshouse form - the defensive gatehouse, the peaceful quadrangle, and the central chapel - to understand how architecture was used to engineer social cohesion. Join us as we discover why these 600-year-old designs remain the gold standard for dignified communal living today. If you like our podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Your kind support will enable us to upgrade our (hitherto self-funded) platform and truly 'up our game' when it comes to producing high-quality content for our audience. Please follow this link for more information.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Big Ben: At the stroke of midnight... | An Architectural Icon | Ep. 102 04.01.2026 50dk

  As the resonant peals of the Great Bell usher in the New Year, we turn our eyes to the Elizabeth Tower; the neo-gothic sentinel that is universally - if erroneously - known as 'Big Ben'!In this New Year's special episode, Rory helps deconstruct the architectural swan song of Augustus Pugin, whose feverish medieval detailing perfectly complements Charles Barry’s structural ambition. We venture beyond the gilded clock face to explore the Victorian horological engineering within, examining how this Westminster icon became the unshakeable metronome of British life.Join us as we traverse the history of the world’s most famous four-faced clock, celebrating the design, the restoration, and the enduring symbolism behind the dings and dongs that ring out hope for the year ahead.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The parish church | A Christmas special | Ep. 101 23.12.2025 48dk

  We are delighted to be joined in this week's 'Christmas special' by historian Daniel Wilson - known for his brilliant social media platform 'Daniel's Historic Architecture' (@greatbritisharchitecture).Join Daniel, Geoff and Rory as they discuss the parish church - the long and storied history (architectural and social) of these important buildings - and their particularly important role at Christmas time. We explore how the parish church has evolved and changed over the centuries, yet simultaneously has remained unchanged in so many ways.We would like to wish all our listeners and supporters a very Happy Christmas, and may 2026 be a joyful, blessed and prosperous year for you all!If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Where palatial homes & politics meet | Helena Rees-Mogg & the Fitzwilliam family | Ep. 100 11.12.2025 1sa 13dk

  On this week's podcast episode, we are delighted to be joined by Helena, Lady Rees-Mogg. This marks the first time Lady Rees-Mogg has ever appeared on a podcast, and the first time she has spoken publicly about her extraordinary family history. The daughter of the sole surviving child of the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, Lady Rees-Mogg offers a unique, intimate perspective on the rise and dramatic decline of one of Britain’s great aristocratic dynasties.This wide-ranging episode delves into the untold stories of the many fascinating country houses of the Fitzwilliams - owners of the palatial Wentworth Woodhouse (with 308 rooms, it has the longest façade of any privately-owned country house in Europe) - as well as featuring exclusive, behind-the-scenes insights into the filming of the Discovery+ documentary “Meet the Rees-Moggs”, and her reflections on life as a political spouse.“The [Labour] Minister Manny Shinwell told my grandfather ‘we will mine coal up to your back door, my Lord - and they almost literally did! ...The miners marched to 10 Downing Street in protest at being made to do open-cast mining in the park at Wentworth of this apparently worthless brown coal" | Helena, Lady Rees-MoggThis episode is our 100th podcast episode, and to celebrate we are coinciding its publication with the launch of our Patreon membership tiers. Your kind support will enable us to upgrade our (hitherto self-funded) platform and truly 'up our game' when it comes to producing high-quality content for our audience. Please follow this link for more information.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Heists & heavenly frescoes | Galerie d'Apollon at Le Palais du Louvre | Ep. 99 24.11.2025 58dk

  In this timely episode, Rory steps into the shoes of Inspector Clouseau to give Geoff - and you - a tour of the Galerie d'Apollon; the scene of the crime for the latest Louvre heist in which eight priceless pieces from the French Crown Jewels were stolen in only eight minutes.We invite our listeners to join us in the luminous splendour of the Galerie d’Apollon in Le Palais du Louvre; a room that reads like a manifesto of French royal ambition. Designed after the 1661 fire that ravaged the palace, the Galerie became a testing ground for the emerging language of the French Baroque - soaring ceilings, gilded stucco work and celestial frescoes celebrating the Sun King (Louis XIV). Its walls and ceiling, enriched by the work of Le Brun and later Delacroix, chart the evolution of French statecraft through art. The Louvre Palace opened as a museum in 1793, and the Galerie has been the home of the French Crown Jewels since the 19th century - their own turbulent history mirroring the political metamorphoses undergone by the nation of France over the centuries.By situating this palace interior within the broader tradition of European domestic architecture, the episode explores how courtly aesthetics shaped the ambitions of country houses and urban palaces alike - each aspiring to embody a choreography of power, spectacle, and cultivated magnificence.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The poet & the house that inspired an empire | Kipling & Bateman's | Ep. 98 13.11.2025 1sa 8dk

  In this Remembrance Day special, we step through the doors of Bateman’s, the 17th-century Jacobean house that became both a refuge and a muse for imperial poet, journalist and writer, Rudyard Kipling.Nestled in the folds of the Sussex Weald, the sandstone gables, mullioned windows and heavy beams of Bateman's speak of endurance - a quality that runs like a golden thread through Kipling’s writing. From the carved oak staircase to the low, moody study, Bateman’s was more than a home: it was the stage for Kipling’s reflections on empire, loss, and belonging. As the First World War cast its long shadow, Bateman’s also became a house of grief. Kipling’s only son, John, was killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915, a loss that transformed the poet’s voice and deepened his understanding of duty and remembrance.In this episode, we explore Kipling's idealised search for 'home', how the stillness of Bateman’s shaped his later work - and how its rooms echo with the unspoken cost of war. Join us as we walk the paths Kipling once took, tracing the lines between place, poetry, and remembrance... and discovering how a Sussex gentleman's farmhouse became a monument to both creativity and courage.Then hold your head up all the more,This tide,And every tide;Because he was the son you bore,And gave to that wind blowing and that tide!From My Boy Jack (1916) by Rudyard KiplingIf you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• An unexpected inheritance: Robert Parker & Browsholme Hall | Ep. 97 05.11.2025 59dk

  In this episode - the final part in our series on the shortlisted candidates for the HHA Collections Award (sponsored by Dreweatts) - we travel to the heart of the Forest of Bowland to visit Browsholme Hall, Lancashire’s oldest surviving family home.We’re joined by Robert Parker, current custodian of Browsholme, who inherited his family home somewhat unexpectedly in 1975 upon the death of his fourth cousin. Robert shares the story of the Parker family, who built Browsholme in the early 16th century, and how the estate has evolved through the centuries - surviving political upheavals, social change, and the challenges of modern heritage stewardship. We explore the architecture of this Tudor house, from its oak-panelled Great Hall to its later Georgian additions, and discuss how each generation has left its mark on the building.We also get a glimpse into Browsholme’s extraordinary collection of art, furniture, and historic artefacts - objects that tell the intimate story of one family’s place in English history. With Robert’s anecdotes and deep personal connection to the Hall, this episode offers a lovely insight into what it means to live amidst, and care for, centuries of heritage.Join us for an evocative journey through time at one of Lancashire’s most captivating historic homes.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• If walls could talk: Jane Austen & Chawton House | Ep. 96 30.10.2025 1sa 2dk

  Many country houses claim to be the inspiration for Pemberley, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, but few houses have such tangible links to Jane Austen as Chawton House in Hampshire.On this week's podcast - the penultimate episode in our series on the HHA Collections Awards shortlisted candidates - Jane Austen’s world comes to life at Chawton House, the historic Hampshire estate once owned by her brother and now home to a unique library celebrating early women’s writing. In this episode, Chawton House Chief Executive Katie Childs shares the fascinating history of the house, its deep connections to Austen’s life and work, and the remarkable collection of rare books by women authors from the 1600s to the early 1800s. Together, we explore how Chawton House continues to champion women’s voices and inspire new generations of readers and researchers.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Fairfax House: The finest Georgian townhouse in England? | Ep. 95 21.10.2025 56dk

  What happens when the last in a line of viscounts has only one child - a daughter - but the family's ancestral seat is entailed to the male line (meaning it'll go to a distant cousin)? This was the dilemma facing Charles, 9th Viscount Fairfax, in the mid-18th century...The answer (for Lord Fairfax, at least) was to purchase a prime site in the centre of the ancient cathedral city of York, and to commission the best architect in Yorkshire - the famous John Carr of York - to design an exquisite Georgian townhouse for Lord Fairfax's daughter, Ann.On this week's podcast episode - the third instalment in our series looking at the houses shortlisted for this year's Historic Houses Association Collections Award (sponsored by Dreweatts) - Geoff meets with Sarah Burnage, Curator of Fairfax House, which is now open to the public and houses and exceptional collection of Georgian furniture, clocks, glass and porcelain.Please join us for a fascinating glimpse of what high-life city living in the 18th century was like!If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Burton Constable Hall & its 'Cabinet of Curiosities' | Ep. 94 15.10.2025 37dk

  A Cabinet of curiosity (also known as a wonder-room) is an encyclopaedic collection of objects assembled in post-Enlightenment Europe by noblemen, landowners and merchants who were fascinated by science and natural history.In the second of our 5-part series looking at the houses shortlisted for this year's Historic Houses Association Collections Award (sponsored by Dreweatts) we discuss the finest intact Cabinet of curiosities in any country house in England - housed at Burton Constable Hall in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The ancestral home of the Constable family, Burton Constable is an impressive Elizabethan house set in Capability Brown parkland, with later work by John Carr of York. Housed within its 'Georgianised' rooms, this remarkable collection was assembled by polymath William Constable and includes an equatorial telescope, a concave burning mirror and antiquities including Roman coins and wax seals.Geoff speaks with Alistair Hutson and Sarah Burton (both of the Burton Constable Foundation, which now owns the house) about the history of this exceptional home, and why they think it should be considered for the HHA Collections Award this year.What do you think? Give this episode a listen, and please send us your thoughts or drop us a comment.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Scone Palace with Viscount Stormont: The crowning place of Scottish kings | Ep. 93 08.10.2025 1sa 4dk

  Over the next five weeks, we will be exploring the history and collections of the five shortlisted candidates for this year's Historic Houses Association Collections Award (sponsored by Dreweatts). Geoff is a judge in this year's awards, along with Francis Terry (architect), Rita Konig (interior designer), Tessa Murdoch (art historian) and Will Richards (Chairman of Dreweatts).First up is one of the great country houses of Scotland - Scone Palace in Perthshire. This gothic revival pile is particularly significant owing to its location adjacent to the 'Moot Hill;' for centuries the location of the Stone of Scone (upon which the early Kings of Scotland were crowned). The seat of the Murray family, Earls of Mansfield, for over 400 years, the collection housed at Scone is exceptional and of national importance.Joining Geoff and Rory on this week's episode is the current custodian of Scone, and heir apparent to the Earldom of Mansfield, William Murray (Viscount Stormont).Please join us for this fascinating discussion, and send us your thoughts or drop us a comment - we'd love to hear from you.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Painting Houses: Rory's Watercolour Portraits | Ep. 92 01.10.2025 51dk

  The challenge for all portraitists is in painting not only what they see but in trying to distil and capture the essence or spirit of their subject in oil, ink or watercolour. This challenge applies as much to those who paint portraits of buildings as it does to those who paint people. On The Country House Podcast we often talk about how houses are far more than mere bricks and mortar - they are living, breathing family homes that imbibe and embody the spirits of those who live and work in them.In this week's podcast episode, Geoff interviews co-host Rory Fraser about one of his main vocations - painting buildings (from ancestral homes and castles to cottages, colleges, churches and holiday villas). They discuss what inspired Rory to begin doing this, why and how he goes about the process, and the unique joys and challenges of using watercolours rather than other mediums.Rory is currently taking Christmas commissions - the perfect gift for friends and family members, whether it's a portrait of a cherished family home or another significant building such as a church (great wedding or anniversary gifts), university or school, or something else entirely! Rory can work from photographs, so please don't hold back even if you live abroad!For more information, please get in touch via Rory's website (www.rory-fraser.com) or send a direct-message on Instagram to Rory (@roryfraserr) or through our podcast page (@thecountryhousepodcast).Pricing as follows (based on him painting from photographs):A4 - £400A3 - £600A selection of prints from Rory's series on follies are also available (ranging from £65 to £95)https://www.rory-fraser.comIf you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Somerleyton Hall with Lord & Lady Somerleyton | Ep. 91 16.09.2025 59dk

  This week Geoff 'goes it alone' (Rory's on holiday) and visits Somerleyton Hall in Suffolk, where he's joined on the podcast by Hugh and Lara Crossley, Lord and Lady Somerleyton. The seat of the Crossley family since the late 19th century, Somerleyton has a fascinating story to tell.Aside from the theatrical Jacobethan/Italianate architecture and the usual story of the rise and decline of the estate's fortunes in the 20th century, Somerleyton Hall - and the dedication and vision of the current Lord and Lady Somerleyton - also embodies the revival of country houses in recent decades. In particular, Geoff talks with Lord and Lady Somerleyton about the ongoing diversification of estate revenue streams (including the implementation of some unique new elements).In this episode, we gain an insight into Lord and Lady Somerleyton's ongoing self-awareness in their role as stewards and custodians, and their personal recognition of their perceived position of privilege and responsibility in the local community and as overseers of an extensive working estate.Please do tune in to learn more, and like and share if you wish. Comments and thoughts are always welcome.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Highland Retreats | The storied history of Scotland's shooting lodges with Mary Miers | Ep. 90 29.08.2025 1sa 9dk

  The shooting lodges of the Scottish Highlands have beguiled and entranced people from all walks of life for generations. But beyond the romantic facade - the magnificent architecture and breathtaking scenery - lies a complex and at times troubled past that continues to echo down through the centuries.Joining Geoff and Rory on this week's episode is architectural historian, writer and proud Highlander - Mary Miers - who authored a book on 'Highland Retreats' and who is unafraid of tackling the storied past of Scotland's shooting lodges head-on whilst simultaneously celebrating their many delights.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.