More even than the work of the great architects, I loved buildings that grew silently with the centuries, catching and keeping the best of each generation…

Historic Houses represents the nation’s largest collection of independently owned historic homes and gardens, many with their doors open to the public. Members of the association enjoy free entry to some beautiful places – most of them still lived in – including Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Castle Howard in Yorkshire, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, and Abbotsford, the borderlands home of Sir Walter Scott. The buildings range from the miner’s cottage in which D H Lawrence was born and a C17th merchant’s house in Marlborough to medieval castles and C18th palaces.

Historic Houses is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping the owners of Britain’s rich heritage of houses and gardens to look after them for future generations. They offer specialist technical and conservation advice to their members, research partnerships with academic institutions and educational opportunities for the community. They also produce policy documents across a broad spectrum of subjects, from Heritage Lottery Fund strategy to planning issues, access to broadband in rural areas and tourism.