Overview

A remarkable tour through the lavish interiors, extraordinary architecture and parklands, and unrivaled collections of the grandest surviving sixteenth-century estate in Britain. Conceived by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, and built between 1555 and 1587, Burghley House is a testament to the ambition and vision of the most powerful courtier of the first Elizabethan age. Designed by Cecil himself, in consultation with the Dutch Renaissance architect and painter Hans Vredeman de Vries, the architecture and interiors at Burghley reflect a mix of contemporary fashionable influences. The house’s facades are each markedly different, with a striking and ornate Gothic gatehouse beneath a roofline of cupolas and obelisks, and with French and Italian styles visible in the windows and pilasters. And inside, where the State Rooms house remarkable collections of furniture, textiles, and Old Master paintings acquired over the centuries, Cecil’s Gothic-style Old Kitchen remains alongside the magnificent Renaissance staircase and Italianate fireplace in the Great Hall. From Burghley’s inception as Cecil’s “prodigy house” to its remarkable renovation and the development of its parklands by Capability Brown in the eighteenth century, to the estate’s preservation efforts today, this is a rare and detailed look inside one of the gems in the British landscape. With sumptuous photography made specially for the book and imagery drawn from Burghley’s private archives, this book is a privileged tour of Burghley House and its remarkable history.

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9780847875542

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Reviews

""Anglophiles and lovers of grand British manor houses will find plenty to love and drool over in this volume dedicated to the 500-year old Burghley House. It was built by William Cecil who was Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I. Taking a hands on approach, Cecil designed the house himself mixing Gothic architecture with French and Italian styles to create a singularly iconic house. The gardens were designed by Britain’s most important landscape designer Capability Brown. Throughout its centuries-old history, it has hosted various members of the aristocracy and royal family, including Queen Victoria in 1884. Burghley House is a book rich not only with historical facts but also with lavish photographs of rooms, gardens, paintings, decorative arts and architectural details by Ashley Hicks."" — FORBES.COM

Author Information

John Martin Robinson is a British architectural historian and officer of arms, and Heraldic Advisor to the National Trust. He has published many books on the architecture, interiors, and landscapes of historic British estates, including Wilton House, also published by Rizzoli, and his writing has appeared in Country Life magazine. Miranda Rock is House Director and Executive Chair of the Burghley House Preservation Trust. Ashley Hicks is a British author, architect, interior and furniture designer, and photographer.

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