Name: Talk: English Country Houses – Not Quite What They Seem by Mike Higginbottom
Start: 2025-02-26T18:00:00+00:00
Location: The Crescent, SK17 6BH Buxton, United Kingdom

$Talk: English Country Houses \u2013 Not Quite What They Seem by Mike Higginbottom$

Talks starts at 6pm in the Pump Room. Tickets are now available online and in the Pump Room.
In his talk, English Country Houses – Not Quite What They Seem, Mike Higginbottom explores how the history and perception of English country houses are often more complex than what meets the eye during a visit. Drawing from the works of Adrian Tinniswood and Alice T. Friedmann, he highlights that the presentation of these houses is influenced by both past and present, often concealing their true histories.
Higginbottom examines various country houses, showing how their structures and uses have evolved over time:
-Hill Bark, Cheshire, is a late-19th-century house that was dismantled and relocated in 1929. It now functions as a luxury hotel.
-Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, remains largely unchanged since the 16th century, preserved through the generations and sensitively restored in the 20th century.
-Eltham Palace, originally a royal residence, was abandoned and later refurbished in the 1930s, with much of what is seen today dating from the 1930s restorations.
-Old Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, was destroyed in the Civil War but rebuilt in the 18th century in a Palladian style.
-Moggerhanger Park, Bedfordshire, designed by Sir John Soane, was obscured by its use as a hospital but later restored to its original plans in the 2000s.
-Harlaxton Manor, Lincolnshire, built by Gregory Gregory, features architectural details that are often deceptive, such as false wood panels and a fake hammerbeam roof.
-Stanford Hall, Leicestershire, is notable for its eccentric past, with eclectic interiors and unusual additions like a private theatre and sea-lion pit.
-Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire, underwent extensive and quirky modifications by the 5th Duke of Portland, including underground tunnels and secretive designs.
Higginbottom’s talk emphasises the layers of history, restoration, and renovation that shape the current appearance of these houses, revealing that they are much more than they seem at first glance. These houses, often remodelled or repurposed, reflect both their past lives and the changing tastes of different periods.