New Books Network Stephanie Barczewski, "How the Country House Became English (Reaktion, 2023)
Dec 29, 2025
Stephanie Barczewski, a modern British cultural historian and author, discusses how country houses evolved into symbols of English identity. She explores the Reformation's destructive impact and how the Civil War left lasting architectural scars. Barczewski explains how 18th-century politics transformed these homes into emblems of stability, while also revealing their ties to imperialism and racial hierarchies. The conversation touches on the diversity of architectural styles across the UK and hints at her future research on British national parks and environmental history.
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Why Study The Country House
- Stephanie Barczewski shifted from British national identity to focus specifically on how country houses embody Englishness.
- She wanted to explain why country houses remained stubbornly English despite external influences.
Reformation's Architectural Shock
- The Reformation caused architectural violence by dissolving monasteries and repurposing their monumental buildings.
- Petworth House exemplifies how Reformation politics relocated and reshaped powerful families and their houses.
War Made The Picturesque
- The Civil War damaged many country houses and bankrupted families, producing the preserved 'timeless' houses we romanticize.
- Little Morton Hall survives as a picturesque relic largely because its owners were ruined by war.