Mixing Roman and medieval roots, Chichester sits at the heart of a storied landscape where South Down hills dotted with idyllic hamlets ripple back from a shoreline mixing wild dune-backed beaches with old-school seaside resorts. Reminders of smuggling and war add spice.
But a thrilling thread of modernity runs through this slice of West Sussex too. Chichester’s modernist Festival Theatre provided the foundation for London’s National Theatre, while masterpieces of contemporary architecture that draw admirers from around the world include Sea Lane House in East Preston and The White Tower in Bognor Regis.
Evocative ancient memorials abound. Chichester is blessed with the only English cathedral visible from the sea, while England’s largest castle rises above the ravishing – and cosmopolitan – riverside town of Arundel. Ancient yew trees mark the burial spots of Viking warriors in an idyllic Downland spot. And it’s a land vibrant with creative imprints: poets, painters, composers, from Blake and Keats to Joyce and Chagall.
This guidebook takes you exploring through Chichester and its surroundings to find incomparable natural beauty, hidden secrets, astonishing history, art of all kinds, and much more.
Travel today is fast, comfortable, and accessible to many. But between the 17th and early 19th centuries, it was a privilege reserved for the elite. Young British aristocrats would embark on a Grand Tour as the final stage of their education. Italy was the highlight of this cultural journey, with visits to Rome, Florence, Venice, and Mount Vesuvius. Along the way, they admired art and architecture, forged connections, and refined their taste – often returning home with artworks and souvenirs to adorn their country estates.
It wasn’t just young men who travelled; entire families journeyed across Europe in grand entourages. What inspired them to set out, which routes did they take, and what treasures did they bring back?
This book explores those journeys and presents a remarkable selection of artworks brought home from three of England’s finest stately homes: Holkham Hall, Burghley House, and Woburn Abbey.
“Tindall’s voice is richly her own: tender but unsentimental and lit by intimate knowledge of her chosen world.” – Colin Thubron
Culminating a distinguished career spanning more than 60 years, historian Gillian Tindall has written a novel as her final statement. In an astonishing feat of literary imagination, she projects herself back onto one of her forebears to conjure a compelling vision of 17th century England.
By trade, the main character is a metal founder, an occupation that leads him from the villages of Sussex to the bell foundry in Spitalfields.
This is a hymn to those who pass through life not leaving a trace, except in the hearts of those into whose lives they have been cast.
A beautiful, tactile facsimile of the handwritten version of Roland Penrose’s The Road is Wider than Long Surrealist photobook.
In 1938, as Europe prepared for war, Roland Penrose and Lee Miller made a journey together through the Balkans. On his return to England Roland produced a handmade photobook containing a Surrealist love poem drawn from his memories and pictures from their travels. The following year he would create and print a typeset version based on this book which has today an important place in the history of Surrealist photobooks.
“I have been photographing the world’s sacred places since 1979. My lifelong theme in the photography is “beauty of impermanence”. I find a beauty in flower, as its life is only several days and can see the change every day. Even the stone monuments of sacred places, after a few thousand years, it starts to turn into sands just by natural elements, sun, wind and rain. I find it beautiful. People’s life is somewhat short, and knowing there is a limit of life, I see people shine within the time. As if the time polish a stone into a jewel. I see the same with people. My photographs in this show and a book, is a homage to a beautiful life“. – Kenro Izu
Kenro Izu (Osaka, 1949) is a Japanese-born photographer based in the United States. Since 1979 began his serious professional commitment to his fine art photography, travelling the world to capture the sacred ancient stone monuments in their natural settings. He travelled and documented Egypt, Syria, Jordan, England, Scotland, Mexico, France and Easter Island (Chile). He has also focused on Buddhism and Hindu monuments in South East Asia: Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, Vietnam and India.
Sites featured include the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt; Stonehenge, UK; Petra, Jordan; Pyramid of Niches, Mexico; Easter Island, Chile; Angkor, Cambodia; Hampi, India; Machu Pichu, Peru; Mount Kailash, Tibet; and Tamshing, Bhutan.
Text in English and Italian.
What sort of home would you create for yourself if you could build whatever you wanted—if money, as they say, were no object?
Over the course of his firm’s 30-year history, American architect Mark P. Finlay has been in the privileged position of helping clients answer that very question. This first reprint and revised edition of Country Houses: The Architecture of Mark P. Finlay, originally published in 2018, showcases the dream homes Finlay has designed for some of America’s wealthiest and most sophisticated families.
The renowned architect and interior designer works in the United States’ most storied pastoral locations, including the South Carolina lowlands, Virginia horse country, coastal New England, and the Rocky Mountains. Whether historic restorations or ground-up builds, Finlay’s attention to detail and focus on fine craftsmanship make the magnificent homes look and feel as if they’ve lived on their sites for centuries.
This beautifully presented monograph offers gorgeous photography of 12 superbly designed country residences. Each home is accompanied by an intimate, detailed architectural account that conveys Finlay’s skill and passion for creating residences that telegraph a distinct sense of place and a unique appreciation for their owners’ aspirations.
The Ashmolean Museum catalogue Italian Maiolica and Europe (2017) included a range of works from Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, England, and Mexico, as well as Italy, to illustrate the rich history of European tin-glazed pottery. Since then, the Ashmolean has expanded its holdings of tin-glazed and related earthenwares to consolidate its position as one of the world’s most important and wide-ranging collections. Among the acquisitions described here is the only known piece of Italian maiolica made for a Tudor Englishman, a plate made for Humphrey Dethick, who caused a nationwide stir in 1602 by an apparent attempt to assassinate King James VI of Scotland. The bequest from Sidney Knafel of New York has transformed the Museum’s holdings of French faience; while important 16th-century maiolica comes from the collection of the late Airlie Holden-Hindley. Among the lustrewares included are fin-de-siècle pieces by Clément Massier and work by some of the world’s supreme contemporary masters of the technique.
“One of the world’s greatest authorities on wine.” – Raymond Blanc OBE
“The finest nose in Europe.” – Daily Telegraph
“A true wine legend who gave so much to so many, both personally and professionally.” – Decanter
“The godfather of British sommeliers … he was not just universally respected, but universally loved.” – Imbibe
Gérard Basset was one of the most influential and authoritative sommeliers of his, or any, generation. Tasting Victory charts Gérard’s astronomical career in his own words. It recounts in detail how he managed to earn his unprecedented sequence of qualifications. He was one of the first individuals to hold the famously difficult Master of Wine qualification simultaneously with Master Sommelier and an MBA in Wine Business. But it is his pursuit of the most important award of all that forms the core of this book – how, at his seventh attempt, Gérard Basset was crowned the Best Sommelier of the World. This memoir is also a record of how fine dining in England grew from stale and unexciting to world-leading. Above all, it’s about succeeding against great odds: when he was diagnosed with cancer, Gérard responded in typical fashion, by deciding to write Tasting Victory, which he completed shortly before his death in January 2019.
– Autobiography of a true legend and much-missed character in the world of wine.
– Inspirational life story of a rise to prominence from modest beginnings.
-Updated commemorative edition with chapters from Gérard’s widow, Nina, and son, Romané, exploring Gérard’s legacy in the six years since his death.
– Features memories of Gérard from major figures within the wine world.
According to Count Galeazzo Arconati, who gave other Leonardo manuscripts to the Ambrosiana Library in Milan, the drawings concerning nature, anatomy, and colour, have been “in the hands of the King of England before 1640.” The collection has been recorded as being in the possession of Queen Mary II, in 1690, a year after she and her husband, William III, ascended the throne as joint monarchs. The collection comprises all the known anatomical drawings by Leonardo. Three hundred images of the human body by the great artist, made between about 1485 and 1510–15, are showcased in this magnificent volume. Based on the artist’s own anatomical dissections, they show his evolving understanding of physiology. The drawings demonstrate, as well, Leonardo’s progress from technical mastery of his subject to consummate draftsmanship.
The commentary on this astonishing body of work is by Professor Martin Kemp of Oxford University, a leading international authority of Leonardo da Vinci, who explains the uniqueness of the painter’s stroke and the refined figurative transposition. One of the most renowned Italian Anatomists, Professor Mario Rende of the University of Perugia, analyses the significance of these works from a medical-scientific angle, revealing the insights, the research methodology, and the experimental and analytical approach of the Genius of da Vinci. Moving between art and anatomy, between unsurpassed illustrative display and avant-garde Renaissance scientific research, the work thus provides an in-depth and comprehensive look at an indispensable aspect of the Great Master’s story.
Text in English and Italian.
The Art Travel Book takes you on a journey across the globe, past iconic outdoor art installations and sculptures. The book showcases both well-known landmarks and hidden treasures: all extraordinary works that harmonise with their natural surroundings. From the arid plains of Texas to the cliffs of the South of France, from the verdant forests of England to the rugged beauty of Cape Town: many of the locations featured are freely accessible, making The Art Travel Book as much an invitation to travel as a source of inspiration for art and nature enthusiasts. The book provides background information on the artists, the artworks and their settings, while also offering curated recommendations for nearby sites of interest. It’s the perfect travel guide for art enthusiasts with a craving for new discoveries.
Step into the darkly enchanting world of the Gothic Witch — solitary, romantic, and deeply connected to the mysteries of the night. Gothic Witchcraft is a beautifully illustrated guide to her magical practices, from favourite tools to rituals under the full moon. Filled with nocturnal spells, celebrations, and haunting beauty, this book invites readers to explore magic through a mysterious and poetic lens. Perfect for lovers of gothic, fantasy, and dark aesthetics. Includes:
– Nocturnal spells, celebrations, and magical holidays.
– Exquisite, atmospheric illustrations throughout.
– Rich cultural references from literature and cinema.
– Stunning hardcover edition, ideal for collectors and gift giving.
– The perfect gift for Halloween.
Northumberland is the ‘Land of the Far Horizon’ and England’s most northerly county. It was once a place of industrial innovation and manufacturing, literally fuelled by the coal brought up from its depths. Now Northumberland is a quieter place, loved by residents and visitors alike for its rolling hills and long, sandy beaches, as well as its charming towns and villages.
With this book in hand, meet Grace Darling, a Victorian heroine who took to storm-tossed seas to help rescue survivors of a terrible shipwreck; visit Amble, the ‘Friendliest Port’, and discover its connection to the Mauretania, once the fastest passenger ship to sail the Atlantic; and take in Turner’s View, an atmospheric stretch of coastline that was a lifelong inspiration to Britain’s greatest landscape painter.
You can also take a walk to the top of Cheviot, the county’s highest mountain and what was once a massive and very active volcano; and then top it off in the tranquil setting of St Cuthbert’s Island, where the eponymous saint went to get away from the strangely hectic whirl of monastic life.
Written by a proud northerner, this book will help you discover the more offbeat corners of Northumberland, and appreciate its many treasures.
An History of Richmondshire (1819–23) is the only part to be published of the largest commission ever received by Turner. Originally intended to count 120 drawings for a General History of the County of York by the well-known historian Thomas Dunham Whitaker, it was cut short owing to the death of the author and the spiralling costs. Nevertheless, Turner produced some of his finest work for the project, and the finished engravings demonstrate how his topographical art took landscape painting and illustration to new heights, and guaranteed his popular fame.
All 20 prints are reproduced here, at approximately three-quarters of the size of the originals. This is the first time they have been published together since the 19th century.
John Constable (1776–1837) is England’s best-loved landscape painter, and the familiarity of his images can disguise how revolutionary he really was. His passionate concentration on the truth of the natural world influenced not just other painters but the whole course of romanticism, and the spontaneity and energy of his vision and technique remain as fresh today as ever.
It was a long journey for this sensitive, not very sociable man, a journey whose fascinating twists and turns we can trace through his many vivid letters, where Constable shared his developing ideas and practice with a small group of friends and patrons. To read his letters today is to gain unparalleled insight into a pioneering creative mind. For the first time, these letters have now been selected and arranged into chronological order to create a coherent narrative. The editor is the leading expert on Constable, Anne Lyles, and she has also written an extensive introduction.
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) is without contest England’s greatest painter – as his contemporaries were quick to admit, even when they could not understand his increasingly abstract art. Yet, despite achieving fame young, the man himself was so intensely private as to be almost unknown. Both brusque and kindly, tight-fisted and generous, taciturn and witty company, he remained a fascinating enigma and source of many legends.
Soon after Turner’s death the journalist, critic and novelist Walter Thornbury began collecting anecdotes from friends and colleagues. The resulting biography provides most of what we know about Turner. It is unfailingly energetic and entertaining – but also ill-organised and prolix. In this edition, the scholar Ian Warrell has arranged Thornbury’s most illuminating passages into a compact, coherent narrative of the painter’s life.
Unfailingly vivid and thought-provoking, and with nearly 100 pages of colour illustrations, this is the first stop on any exploration of Turner’s life and career.
Viewed from a satellite at night, the Peak District National Park appears as an island of darkness, surrounded by the streetlights of northern England’s industrial cities. From these cities come many of the park’s visitors, drawn to one of the most loved and most visited National Parks in the world, often treating it as their own personal playground. This book guides you to 111 Places in the Peak District That You Shouldn’t Miss and includes 11 carefully selected walks to help you explore them on foot. Alongside familiar highlights, it uncovers offbeat, surprising and unusual sites that even regular visitors may have overlooked or never heard of. From the gentle limestone dales of the White Peak to the dramatic edges and rugged moorland of the gritstone Dark Peak, the scenery is wonderfully varied. Stone-built villages, prehistoric remains and traces of early industry add further depth. Join us as we explore the lesser-known corners of Britain’s original National Park in the expert company of the man known as Mr Peak District.
For more than 4,500 years people have been drawn to a windswept plain at the heart of southern England where a circle of vast upright stones topped with massive lintels stands. Yet Stonehenge – probably the most famous prehistoric monument in the world – remains mysterious.
Today, nearly one and a half million people a year come from across the world to see for themselves this silent icon of the ancient past. But what do we really know about the people who built it, why they did so, and what they did here among the stones? In the 18th century stories of Druids, of sacrifices and pagan worship emerged in the silence. How has our understanding of this complex site changed since then?
Through spectacular new photography, historic images, artworks and a remarkable new reconstruction drawing, Susan Greaney tells the story of Stonehenge, its builders and the people whose lives have been touched by this awe-inspiring monument from earliest times to the present day.
Cheshire is one of England’s most stylish and elegant counties, a land of picture-postcard villages, rolling countryside and captivating river views. Perfectly placed between Wales, Manchester and the Peak District, it is the gateway to the North-West. Though it has little traditional coastline, the sweeping estuaries of the Dee and Mersey give it an unexpectedly long sea edge, while its landscapes stretch from fertile plains to upland fringes. At its heart lies Chester, a historic gem with Roman ruins and the longest city walls in Britain. Across the county you’ll find grand estates such as Lyme Park and Tatton Park, the awe-inspiring radio telescope at Jodrell Bank and some of the country’s most striking streets. Cheshire also delights with its quirks and secrets: the home of the Cheshire Cat, mystical mines at Alderley Edge, the nation’s oldest racecourse, vast wartime shelters and intriguing modern legends. This guide reveals a county that is endlessly surprising, rich in stories and full of unmissable places.
The Italianate villa, Chakrabongse House was built almost 120 years ago on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River with magnificent views to Wat Kalaya, the Wichai Prasit fort and Wat Arun. It was commissioned by Prince Chakrabongse and his wife Katya as a private retreat from their main residence Paruskavan Palace. Designed by Turin-born architect Mario Tamagno, the tall villa with its beautiful teak staircase and panelling has accumulated paintings and works of art from three generations of the Chakrabongse family. Prince Chula who inherited the house after the sudden death of his father in 1920 never lived here full time. Educated in England, the prince’s plans to spend more time in Bangkok were foiled by the Second World War. Instead he lived in Cornwall, while the house in Bangkok was well maintained but somewhat unloved. It was only when Narisa, who inherited the house on the death of her parents, that creating a home full of antiques, paintings and memories began.
In A House by the River Narisa takes the reader through her home, pointing out some important features and the precious items it contains. She also recounts the stories, happy and sad, of the people who stayed here – Prince Chakrabongse, Prince Chula, Lisba and now Narisa and Gee. She also explains why she started her publishing company and opened the boutique hotel, Chakrabongse Villas.
If you really want to get to know Washington, DC, you have to go out and get walking. Beyond the bounty of the National Mall and well-known historic sites, DC is a vibrant city full of unusual places, stories, and experiences that both avid and casual urban explorers will want to seek out.
DC insiders and adventurers Paige Muller and Andrea Seiger take you on 22 self-guided walks that blend the city’s rich history and vibrant culture, with some dishy tidbits thrown in for good measure. You’ll discover lesser-known facts behind popular icons and uncover wonderful spots, often hiding in plain sight.
There is a secret royal connection that lurks in an upper Northwest neighbourhood, and a historic building that stands in for the White House in multiple Hollywood movies. See if you can spot the hidden graffiti on a well-known memorial. Discover what inspired Kate Winslet’s famous pose on the Titanic’s bow. And find out all about the Civil War officer whose missing leg is allegedly entombed in a wall.
111 Places in the Cotswolds reveals an England of rolling hills, gurgling streams, timeless villages and unexpected stories. Which place did William Morris call “Heaven on Earth”? Where can you channel Provence in summer? Where are stones said to be petrified geese, and which hill is home to 18 species of rare orchid? Awarded Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty status, the Cotswolds are celebrated for their landscapes — but their true charm lies in the human history scattered across them. From Neolithic standing stones and Roman mosaics to farms harvesting nature’s best produce and villages that have barely changed in centuries, this guide uncovers the places and people that have added to the region’s allure. With 111 surprises, legends and historic discoveries at every turn, no day exploring the Cotswolds is ever without something amazing — or, at the very least, a very decent pub lunch.