This is our 17th century cottage in Isham in Northamptonshire. The garden has really burst into colour this spring, which is one of the best that I can remember. The cottage was built in 1668 and is Grade II-listed. It was originally part of a farm, and the farmyard is immediately behind the cottage. We were told by the English Heritage inspector that the living accommodation would have been upstairs, reached by a ladder, while animals would have used the ground floor as shelter. I am reminded of this when my grandchildren visit.

Whenever I see the name Colyton I always think of the school that invariably appears in the top ten list of English schools. It is also the last stop on the famous Seaton Tramway that runs alongside the River Axe from Seaton. But until a couple of weeks ago I had never been to Colyton itself. It is actually a charming little village in East Devon. We parked by the ancient packhorse bridge and I walked up into the village.One of the first buildings I came across was the beautiful old thatched cottage known as Chantry Cottage. This has a date stone of 1664 and according to British Listed Buildings it was subsequently remodelled in around 1800. Details of the Grade II-listed building can be found at britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101170448-chantry-cottagethe....

This beautiful building in the pretty little village of Middle Tysoe in South Warwickshire is appropriately known as The Cottage and is Grade II-listed. The original building dating from the 17th century is on the right. Around the end of the 18th century the roof was raised and the bay window installed. On the left is a very tasteful extension dating from more recent times.

I'm fascinated by many of the old buildings we have in England, and one of my favourites is virtually on my doorstep. This is The Hind Hotel in Wellingborough in the north of Northamptonshire, which dates from the middle of the 17th century. There are claims that Oliver Cromwell stayed here on his way to the Battle of Naseby, but I've heard the same claims elsewhere. We shall never know which, if any of them, are true. This Grade II*-listed building is right in the centre of Wellingborough, which was one of the famous Shoe Towns of Northamptonshire. Sadly the shoe industry has greatly declined as the result of cheap foreign imports. In the 19th century it also had several iron foundries which used the local iron ore that gives so many of the old stone buildings their rich brown colour.

For full details see: britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101286782-the-hind-hotel-wel...

The beautiful village of Dirleton is a couple of miles from North Berwick. The parish church dates from the early 17th century and according to British Listed Buildings is, "arguably the first post reformation church in Scotland, before Greyfriars in Edinburgh." The tower was raised to four stages in 1825. The building is Category A listed.

The Archerfield Aisle, which projects from this side of the building in Scottish Renaissance style, dates from 1656-74 and was begun by Elisabeth Debousy at cost of £45, allegedly to cover the grave of James Maxwell. According to British Listed Buildings, the three-light window may have come from an earlier collegiate church at Dirleton.

There were 42 collegiate churches in Scotland during the period 1250-1567, the earliest being the Church of "Saint Mary on the Rock" at Saint Andrews. Usually founded by powerful families, one purpose of the collegiate church was to pray for the souls of those members of the founding family that found themselves in purgatory. The Protestant reformers of the 16th century did not accept the existence of purgatory, therefore these institutions became redundant, and all ceased to function by 1567 when the Catholic mass was abolished by act of Parliament.

In England I am used to churches being dedicated to saints, but in Scotland things are much plainer and hence this is simply Dirleton Kirk (church).

My wife Judy reckons the garden of our former farm cottage in Isham has never looked better, and I'm sure she's right. I must get out there tonight and water it.

The cottage, which is Grade II-listed, dates from 1668 and was in all probability the original farmhouse. The farmyard is immediately behind it, and the main barn would appear to be of a similar age, with small triangular-shaped holes beneath the roof to give access to the doves who still roost here. A much larger farmhouse was built about a hundred years later, and is effectively the building next door, with the entrance to the farm in between.

Arlescote forms part of the district of Stratford-on-Avon and the civil parish of Warmington. This small hamlet with some ten houses sits approximately two miles away from Warmington at the bottom of Edgehill. It was near here that the Battle of Edgehill took place in 1642. It was the first major battle of the English Civil War though the result was indecisive.

The main feature of the hamlet is Arlescote House, a beautiful Grade II*-listed house of architectural and historic interest. According to British Listed Buildings the house dates from the late 1600s. Another source states that the manor was founded in the late 16th century by Richard Cooper or his son Manasses and refers to evidence of major rebuilding in the late 17th century when the house was refronted and roofs remodelled along with other internal alterations.

This is the old grammar school that the poet William Wordsworth attended in the village of Hawkshead in the Lake District. The Grade II*-listed building dates from 1675, and William Wordsworth attended from 1778 to 1787. His name is carved on a desk inside the former school, which is now a museum.

This beautiful timber-framed building in the pretty Shropshire town of Much Wenlock has a datestone of 1682. But according to British Listed Buildings this is when an additional storey was added to the original building. It actually dates from the early 1600s. The grade II*-listed building in the High Street was originally known as Raynolds Mansion, after John and Mary Raynolds, whose names appear above the first floor window on the far right. There are numerous historic buildings along the High Street, but perhaps this is the finest.

This cottage where we live in Isham in Northamptonshire was built in 1668, two years after the Great Fire of London. Like most old cottages the garden is at the front, while in our case at the back is the farmyard and various barns. When the English Heritage inspector called some years ago prior to it being Grade II-listed he said that when it was first built it would have been usual for animals to have been kept on the ground floor. The living accommodation would have been on the first floor and reached by a ladder. Fortunately, it's a little more comfortable these days. The little extension is not an outside loo but the old boiler-house. It's now a utility room. There is an outside loo - no longer used - behind it.

This beautiful Grade II*-listed building is in Fore Street in Looe in south-east Cornwall. It is timber-framed and dates from the early 1600s (the sign says 1632). According to Historic England the Grade II* listed building probably started life as a merchant's house. The oriel windows on the first floor are very rare though the original tiny panes of glass have been replaced. Fore Street is the main shopping street in Looe, which as well as being a popular seaside resort also retains an important fishing industry with a large fish market on the east bank of the Looe River.

I live in Northamptonshire which is renowned for its ancient churches, many of which date back to Norman (and even Saxon) times. In Scotland it seems many old churches were destroyed as a result of the Scottish Reformation when Catholicism was abolished. The ones that I saw during our visits all dated from the post reformation period. In England our ancient Catholic churches simply became Protestant.

The interiors of Scottish churches (or at least the handful I have been inside) have a very different feel to those in England. They seem plainer, lighter and brighter. Dirleton Kirk dates from the early 17th century and according to British Listed Buildings is, "arguably the first post reformation church in Scotland, before Greyfriars in Edinburgh." The interior was reorganised in the 1930s when the gallery was removed and a chancel added. There are beautiful flowers throughout the kirk to add a touch of colour.

A Sé Catedral de Miranda do Douro, monumento nacional desde 1910 e oficialmente designada Concatedral de Santa Maria Maior, é um importante exemplo da arquitetura religiosa de Trás-os-Montes, situada na fronteira com Espanha. A sua construção, iniciada a 24 de maio de 1552 e concluída em 1609, apresenta um estilo de transição entre o gótico e o Renascimento, combinando também elementos maneiristas. O edifício, em pedra granítica, mantém o seu traçado original, apesar de intervenções posteriores a um incêndio ocorrido no século XVIII. A nave central, com abóbadas de cruzaria e elegantes arcadas em pedra, é dominada pelo imponente retábulo-mor em talha dourada, com cenas da vida de Cristo e de santos franciscanos, representativo da arte sacra pós-tridentina. Antiga catedral da diocese criada em 1545 por D. João III e suprimida em 1780, a Sé tornou-se co-catedral da Diocese de Bragança-Miranda após a transferência da sede episcopal para Bragança em 1770, por decisão do Papa Clemente XIV. O retábulo-mor, enquadrado por uma estrutura de talha dourada com pilastras de fuste decorado com elementos vegetalistas, que sustentam cornija e arquivolta com decoração semelhante, destaca-se pela sua riqueza e detalhe.

The Cathedral of Miranda do Douro, a national monument since 1910 and officially called the Concatedral de Santa Maria Maior, is an important example of the religious architecture of Trás-os-Montes, located on the border with Spain. Its construction, which began on May 24, 1552 and was completed in 1609, has a transitional style between Gothic and Renaissance, also combining Mannerist elements. The building, made of granite, retains its original layout, despite interventions following a fire in the 18th century. The central nave, with cross vaults and elegant stone arcades, is dominated by an imposing gilded altarpiece with scenes from the life of Christ and Franciscan saints, representative of post-Tridentine sacred art. Formerly the cathedral of the diocese created in 1545 by King João III and suppressed in 1780, the Cathedral became co-cathedral of the Diocese of Bragança-Miranda after the episcopal seat was transferred to Bragança in 1770 by decision of Pope Clement XIV. The main altarpiece, framed by a gilded carved structure with fluted pilasters decorated with plant elements, which support a cornice and archivolt with similar decoration, stands out for its richness and detail.

Galerie d'Orléans - Palais-Royal - 1er arrondissement - Paris - France

Passsage near the famous collumn of Buren in Palais Royal

© Pascal Rouen. All rights reserved

Please don't use this shot on websites, blogs or other media.

This beautiful Grade II-listed 17th century thatched cottage is in the Northamptonshire village of Weekley, just to the north of Kettering. At one point it seems likely that it was three separate cottages, as a previous doorway has been infilled with stone. The cottage is owned by the Boughton Estate, and has been the home of my son and his family for several years.

Here's a shot from the archives, taken in the spring of 2019 when we visited the Yorkshire Dales.

Although the village of Dent is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park it is in Cumbria rather than North Yorkshire. Originally it was in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but was transferred to Cumbria when the boundaries changed in 1974. The village is the only one in Dentdale, which is reckoned to be the finest dale in Cumbria.

The late 17th century cottages in the picture look on to the churchyard and the wonderful 12th century Church of St Andrew. The whitewashed building in front of us has a date stone of 1690, while the cottage on the right, West View, is one of a pair dating from a similar time. Cobble Cottage to its right, is out of shot. They are Grade II-listed.

This is our little home in Isham in Northamptonshire. Originally, the roof of the former farm cottage would have been thatched, but it was changed to slate many years ago. The date on the gable end reads 1668 - two years after the Great Fire of London. It is thought that originally the ground floor housed animals, and the living accommodation upstairs was reached via a ladder. Like all cottages of that age, the garden is in the front. At the rear is the farmyard. The cottage is Grade II-listed.

The beautiful village of Dirleton is a couple of miles from North Berwick. The parish church dates from the early 17th century and according to British Listed Buildings is, "arguably the first post reformation church in Scotland, before Greyfriars in Edinburgh." The tower was raised to four stages in 1825. The building is Category A listed.

The Archerfield Aisle, which projects from this side of the building in Scottish Renaissance style, dates from 1656-74 and was begun by Elisabeth Debousy at cost of £45, allegedly to cover the grave of James Maxwell. According to British Listed Buildings, the three-light window may have come from an earlier collegiate church at Dirleton.

There were 42 collegiate churches in Scotland during the period 1250-1567, the earliest being the Church of "Saint Mary on the Rock" at Saint Andrews. Usually founded by powerful families, one purpose of the collegiate church was to pray for the souls of those members of the founding family that found themselves in purgatory. The Protestant reformers of the 16th century did not accept the existence of purgatory, therefore these institutions became redundant, and all ceased to function by 1567 when the Catholic mass was abolished by act of Parliament.

In England I am used to churches being dedicated to saints, but in Scotland things are much plainer and hence this is simply Dirleton Kirk (church).

Stowe Landscape Gardens, which surround the late 17th century Stowe House in Buckinghamshire, date from the early 18th century and are a significant example of the English Garden style. They have been in the care of the National Trust since 1989. The 750 acres of landscaped grounds, which include two main lakes, have 40 listed temples and monuments within them. A number of outstanding designers and architects worked on the gardens in the 18th century, including Charles Bridgeman, John Vanburgh, Capability Brown and James Gibbs.

The Grade I listed country house is the home of Stowe School, which has leased the building since it was founded in 1923. The present house dates from around 1683, when the central part was rebuilt by Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet. The architect was William Cleare, who worked for Sir Christopher Wren. There have been considerable additions over the years under various architects, including Vanbrugh and Robert Adam. The exterior of the house has not been significantly changed since 1779, and the front of the house is over 300 yards wide. A long, straight driveway runs from Buckingham all the way to the front of the house, passing through a 60-foot Corinthian arch on the brow of the hill on the way. The driveway approach to the house is still in use, although it no longer runs through the arch.

Rushbury is a little village in the south of Shropshire. It is located in the Shropshire Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and sits in a valley known as Ape Dale, with Wenlock Edge to the southeast. There is a lovely church which perhaps dates back to the Saxon era, a village school and a few very smart new houses as well as some older buildings such as this. This timber-framed building was originally a farmhouse and dates from the 17th century. It is now a private residence and is Grade II-listed.

Weekley is a beautiful little village just to the north of Kettering in Northamptonshire. The building on the left dates from 1611 and was known as Montagu Hospital. It was built for a master and six brethren and in effect it was an almshouse that provided communal accommodation for widowers. The village of Weekley is part of the Boughton Estate, with Boughton House being a short distance away. Boughton House was purchased by the Montagu family in 1528, and is the home of the Dukes of Buccleuch.

The charming 12th century Church of St Mary the Virgin houses the grand tomb of Sir Edward Montagu, who died in 1601. The church tower dates from the 14th century.

Even in the summer, if you get down to the pretty little town of Looe early enough in the morning you'll find very few people about. This narrow road is the main shopping street in East Looe and the restaurant on the left dates from the early 16th century. Because the town is contained between the Looe River and a steep hillside there has been very little room for development. It seems to have changed very little from when I first came here with my parents in the mid-1950s, though I am pleased to say dead sharks are no longer hung up on the quayside.

A antiga porta em arco de madeira maciça do Palácio de los Águila, situada na Calle de Juan Arias em Ciudad Rodrigo, Espanha, apresenta características típicas da arquitetura nobre castelhana. Construído entre os séculos XVI e XVII por D. Antonio de Águila, este palácio é o maior edifício palaciano da cidade e um exemplo representativo da arquitetura renascentista local. A porta possui acabamentos em ferro forjado, com grandes cravos decorativos dispostos simetricamente e dobradiças robustas, enquanto o arco em cantaria de pedra amarelada contrasta com a madeira escurecida pelo tempo. O palácio, que foi declarado Monumento Histórico-Artístico em 1969 e restaurado em 2000, abriga atualmente o Centro Hispano-Luso e diversas exposições temporárias, integrando-se no conjunto monumental de Ciudad Rodrigo, uma cidade-fortaleza de grande valor histórico e cultural. As ferragens salientes da porta reforçam a estrutura e oferecem proteção contra impactos, características comuns nas construções nobres e defensivas da época.

The old solid wood arched door of the Palace of los Águila, located on Calle de Juan Arias in Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain, features typical characteristics of noble Castilian architecture. Built between the 16th and 17th centuries by D. Antonio de Águila, this palace is the largest palatial building in the city and a representative example of local Renaissance architecture. The door has wrought iron finishes, with large decorative studs symmetrically arranged and sturdy hinges, while the arch in yellowish stone masonry contrasts with the wood darkened by time. The palace, which was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1969 and restored in 2000, currently houses the Hispano-Luso Center and several temporary exhibitions, integrating itself into the monumental complex of Ciudad Rodrigo, a fortress city of great historical and cultural value. The protruding hardware of the door reinforces the structure and offer protection against impacts, common characteristics in noble and defensive constructions of the time.

This traditional fisherman's cottage is in one of several narrow alleys and streets behind the seafront in East Looe, on the south-east coast of Cornwall. This is the oldest part of the town and has many buildings dating back to the 1600s and earlier, including Petroc, which is Grade II-listed.

This beautiful Grade I-listed country house just outside Buckingham is the home of Stowe School, which has leased the building since it was founded in 1923. The present house dates from around 1683, when the central part was rebuilt by Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet. The architect was William Cleare, who worked for Sir Christopher Wren. There have been considerable additions over the years under various architects, including Vanbrugh and Robert Adam. The exterior of the house has not been significantly changed since 1779, and the front of the house is over 300 yards wide. A long, straight driveway runs from Buckingham all the way to the front of the house, passing through a 60-foot Corinthian arch on the brow of the hill on the way. The driveway approach to the house is still in use, although it no longer runs through the arch.

Surrounding the house are the 750 acres of Stowe Landscape Gardens, which are owned by the National Trust.

I always think of Oundle as being one of the architectural gems of this region, and whenever I walk past this building known as Cobthorne I always pause briefly to admire its beauty.

The Grade I-listed building, which sits back from the old high street (now called West Street) dates from 1656 and is regarded as the first and finest Town House in Oundle. It was built for William Boteler, a Major-General with Cromwell's Parliamentary forces in the English Civil War, who used (or perhaps "stole" is more accurate) the timber from the uncompleted nearby Lyveden New Bield in the construction of his new house. As Cromwell's senior soldier for Northamptonshire and the surrounding counties I suppose he thought he could do what he liked!

Interestingly, British Listed Buildings gives Cobthorne's date as 1700, but that is clearly not right. I understand that Cobthorne was acquired by Oundle School, along with several other fine old stone buildings in the town, around 100 years ago and is now the home of the Head of Oundle School.

The Elizabethan and early Stuart period has been described as the time of the great rebuilding, when many medieval houses were either extensively modernised or completely rebuilt. Oundle contains some fine examples of both and shows how prosperous the town was from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century.

Stowe House is a Grade I-listed country house located in Stowe, just outside Buckingham. It is the home of Stowe School, which has leased the building since the school was founded in 1923. The present house dates from around 1683, when the central part was rebuilt by Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet. The architect was William Cleare, who worked for Sir Christopher Wren. There have been considerable additions over the years under various architects, including Vanbrugh and Robert Adam. The exterior of the house has not been significantly changed since 1779, and the front of the house is 279m in length. A long, straight driveway runs from Buckingham all the way to the front of the house, passing through a 60-foot (18 m) Corinthian arch on the brow of the hill on the way. The driveway approach to the house is still in use, although it no longer runs through the arch.

The Broadways, The Cotswolds.

Chipping Campden is a small market town in the Cotswolds. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating mainly from the 14th century to the 18th centuries. A rich wool trading centre in the Middle Ages, Chipping Campden enjoyed the patronage of wealthy wool merchants.

The building nearest the camera looks like two separate buildings because of the different windows on the ground floor. However, it is one building. The shop windows date from the mid-1800s while the stone bay window nearest dates from the late 1800s. But the Grade II-listed building itself, called Three Gables, was constructed in the 1600s. There has clearly been a considerable amount of settlement, particularly at the far dormer gable, which looks rather wonky to say the least.

Close to where I grew up in Dorset, England is the country home of the Bankes family, landed gentry in the area for over 400 years.

Their first family seat was in Corfe Castle 30 km south. But this was to be destroyed during the 17th century civil war when the Bankes family who were cavaliers (royalist followers), were besieged by parliamentarian forces.

Fond memories of many visits here over the decades. Within the house are collections of fine art and antiquities built up by many generations of the Bankes family.

The house is surrounded by 160 hectares of land, comprising parkland and ornamental gardens.

Kingston Lacy was designated a Grade I listed building in 1958 and the park and gardens are included in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens at Grade II. The house was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1982 after the death of Henry John Ralph Bankes, along with Corfe Castle.

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Another shot taken last year when we visited Lanhydrock House in Cornwall. The Long Gallery is one of the original parts of the house, dating from the mid-1600s, which was not affected by a devastating fire in the 1880's. The plaster ceiling is an amazing work of art.

The great house stands in extensive grounds (360 hectares or 890 acres) above the River Fowey and it has been owned and managed by the National Trust since 1953. Much of the present house dates back to Victorian times but some sections date from the 1620s. It is a Grade I-listed building and is set in gardens with formal areas. The hill behind the house is planted with a fine selection of shrubs and trees.

We had never visited Shrewsbury before and I was most impressed with the beautiful town centre and the wonderful old buildings. Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, and is situated on the River Severn. It is a market town whose centre has a largely unaltered medieval street plan and over 700 listed buildings, including several examples of timber framing from the 15th and 16th centuries. The beautiful Grade II*-listed timber-framed building in Frankwell in the centre of the picture dates from the early 1600s and was almost certainly originally a dwelling.

Stowe House is a Grade I listed country house located in Stowe, just outside Buckingham. It is the home of Stowe School, which has leased the building since it was founded in 1923. The present house dates from around 1683, when the central part was rebuilt by Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet. The architect was William Cleare, who worked for Sir Christopher Wren. There have been considerable additions over the years under various architects, including Vanbrugh and Robert Adam. The exterior of the house has not been significantly changed since 1779, and the front of the house is 279 m in length. A long, straight driveway runs from Buckingham all the way to the front of the house, passing through a 60-foot (18 m) Corinthian arch on the brow of the hill on the way. The driveway approach to the house is still in use, although it no longer runs through the arch. The Landscape Gardens are owned by the National Trust.

Perhaps one of the most notable buildings in Ludlow, Shropshire, is the Feathers Hotel. The oldest part of the Grade I-listed building, including the famous timber facade, was built in 1619 (during the reign of King James I) by Rees Jones, a successful attorney in the town.

The name of the hotel springs from the motifs of ostrich feathers forming part of the timber framed facade. They can still be seen on the collars of the three street gables, although now weathered by the centuries. Ostrich feathers (traditionally the badge of the Prince of Wales) were still very much in vogue in the town at the time that the timber facade was being constructed following celebrations in 1616 for the investiture of Charles (the future King Charles I) as Prince of Wales.

Ludlow was a town with Royalist sympathies and remained loyal throughout the English Civil War, during which it is thought that Royalist soldiers were billeted at the Feathers. Rees Jones' son Thomas fought as a Captain in the King's Army and he converted the Feathers to an inn around 1670.

The Feathers remained an inn for the next 200 years during which time, as well as providing sleeping accommodation, food and much beer, the inn was occasionally used as a venue for cock-fighting and prize-fighting. It was also at the centre of politics in the town when candidates for parliamentary elections would make speeches from the hotel balcony then invite voters inside for a drink to help secure their votes. From 1863 the Feathers became known as a hotel and since then has gradually evolved and expanded through the acquisition of properties on either side of the original house.

This 17th century terrace of five cottages has a former bakery on the ground floor at the end nearest the camera. They are Grade II-listed. I found the small village of Burton-in-Kendal in the south of Cumbria to be absolutely fascinating, with so many old listed buildings. Sadly, the centre of the village has seen better days and many of the buildings would benefit from a little bit of TLC and a fresh coat of paint. It is off the main tourist routes and I have the feeling that very few visitors come this way, which is a shame.

Two guides in traditional Omani attire cross paths inside the historic Nizwa Fort, perfectly positioned in the interplay of light and shadows.

Built in 1650 by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Yarubi, this fort was a key defense point, with its massive circular tower, secret escape routes, and clever traps to fend off invaders. Today, it’s a window into Oman’s past and a major tourist attraction. From the top, you can see the bustling Nizwa souk and the Al Hajar mountains in the distance.

Nizwa, Oman

This Grade II*-listed building in the lovely village of Weekley, Northamptonshire, dates from 1611 and was known as the Montagu Hospital. It was built for a master and six brethren and in effect was an almshouse that provided communal accommodation for widowers. Weekley is part of the Boughton Estate, with Boughton House being a short distance away. Boughton House was purchased by the Montagu family in 1528, and is the home of the Dukes of Buccleuch. Both Weekley and Boughton House are just to the north of Kettering.

Inside the historic Nizwa Fort, a quiet moment highlights the play of light and shadow on its centuries-old architecture. Built in the mid-17th century by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Yarubi, the fort served as a strategic defense point during Oman’s early history. Its massive circular tower, hidden traps, and narrow staircases showcase the ingenuity of its design, meant to protect against invaders. Today, Nizwa Fort stands as one of Oman’s most visited landmarks, offering visitors a glimpse into Omani history and culture. From its walls, you can enjoy stunning views of Nizwa’s traditional souk, the surrounding city, and the nearby mountains. – Nizwa, Oman

Built in the seventeenth century, the Grade II-listed Dial House has had a varied history, including a spell as The Victory public house. It became the Brancaster Activity Centre in 1998, and is owned by the National Trust. Following the serious flooding along the North Norfolk coast in December 2013 the centre was refurbished and then re-opened in June 2015. This is a typical Norfolk building, constructed from red brick and napped flints.

Burton-in-Kendal is just a few miles to the north of where we stayed on our recent visit to the north-west. The village seems to be rather run-down, though we had an excellent meal in the friendly local pub, The King's Arms. The village has a number of interesting old buildings including this pair of cottages, which are Grade II-listed. They are thought to date from the 17th century. I don't think I have ever seen such substantial supporting pillars for the projecting upper storey. There have been some modern updates which obviously happened long before the current planning laws were introduced.

O Palazzo dell'Antella, situado na emblemática Piazza di Santa Croce em Florença, destaca-se pelo seu impressionante programa decorativo de frescos que adornam a fachada. Construído no século XVI e modificado no início do século XVII, este palácio representa um notável exemplo da arquitetura renascentista florentina. Os frescos, executados em apenas 20 dias por uma equipa de artistas coordenada por Giovanni da San Giovanni em 1619-1620, retratam figuras alegóricas e mitológicas. O edifício mantém hoje uma função comercial no rés-do-chão, como se pode observar pelas montras com mercadorias, enquanto os pisos superiores preservam a nobreza da sua estrutura original, com janelas em arco e detalhes arquitetónicos típicos do Renascimento tardio toscano.

This beautiful Grade II-listed 17th century farmhouse is adjacent to Cranford Hall at Cranford St Andrew in Northamptonshire. It is currently used as a guest house.

Grafton Park Farmhouse, in the centre of the picture, is a Grade II-listed building that dates from 1696. It is one of a number of listed buildings in this delightful Northamptonshire village that date from this period. Many of the cottages are owned by the Boughton Estate.

Market Harborough is a beautiful little town in the south of Leicestershire. One of its most notable features is an unusual former grammar school which is next to the parish church and stands on wooden stilts in the town centre. This allowed the butter market to be held on the ground floor. The Grade I-listed school was founded in 1607 and built in 1614 through the generosity of Robert Smyth, a poor native of the town who became Comptroller of the Lord Mayor's Court of the City of London and member of the Merchant Taylors' Company.

The subjects taught were Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and many boys were sent to Oxford and Cambridge universities. The most distinguished of these was John Moore, who became Bishop of Norwich in 1691, and Bishop of Ely in 1707 and also - in the last years of the school - William Henry Bragg, Nobel Prize winner. This is commemorated by a plaque inside the old schoolroom.

I've always been intrigued by the subjects they were taught (or not taught) in the 1600s. Samuel Pepys, the great diarist who went to a grammar school in Huntingdon, was taught exactly the same subjects. But it seems that no-one was taught maths in those days. Pepys didn't learn his tables until he was 28.

I seem to remember Grafton Underwood being mentioned in the first Bridget Jones film. It is a pretty little stone-built village in the middle of Northamptonshire. On one side of the road is a duck stream while on the other side the houses include this mid-17th century Manor House. According to British Listed Buildings the date stone says 1653, but the building - which was once known as The Rectory - is probably much earlier.

It's time the gardener dead-headed those shrubs!

La Grand-Place in Brussels features a successful eclectic blending of architectural and artistic styles. Each house has specific attributes, heightened with gold, reminiscent of the status of its occupants.

Northamptonshire is known as the "county of spires and squires", and this is one of my favourite country estates. It is where the Brigstock International Horse Trials used to be held. Fermyn Woods Hall is a delightful country house dating from the early/mid 17th century and originally designed on the Elizabethan "E" plan. It was extended in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the Victorian west wing was demolished in the 20th Century. The house is Grade II* Listed.

Anglesey Abbey, near Lode in Cambridgeshire, was originally part of a 13th century priory for Augustinian Canons. They were expelled during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the late 1530s and the building was converted into a country house around 1600 by Thomas Hobson. Its external appearance is generally of a house of that period though parts of the building are very much older. There have also been substantial extensions during the 19th and 20th centuries. At one point in the 18th century it was owned by Sir George Downing, who endowed Downing College, Cambridge.

The estate’s last private owner was the first Lord Fairhaven, who bought it in 1926. He fully restored the house which had fallen into disrepair and began to collect beautiful furniture, artworks and statuary, which can still be seen today. In the 1930’s he laid out beautiful gardens in the style of the 18th century. He died in 1966 without any heirs, and left the Grade I-listed house and its gardens to the National Trust.