Touring and Publicizing England's Country Houses in the Long Eighteenth Century

During the 18th century, England's grand country houses gained recognition for their architectural splendor, art collections, and expansive gardens, becoming celebrated as sites of national culture. Increasingly accessible to tourists, they became important tourist attractions, with Touring and Publicizing England's Country Houses in the Long Eighteenth Century examining how these identities emerged and the legacies of early tourists.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 24 March 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The long 18th century saw a transformation in the status of England's grand country houses, as they became renowned for their impressive architecture, vast collections of sculptures and paintings, expansive landscape gardens, and picturesque parks. While these houses remained the residences and exclusive retreats of the elite, they also acquired powerful public identities. Increasingly accessible to tourists, they were extensively described by travel writers, who celebrated them as significant sites of national culture.

Touring and Publicizing England's Country Houses in the Long Eighteenth Century delves into the process by which these identities emerged. It explores the significance of country houses in 18th-century Britain, examining what it took to transform them into tourist attractions. The book draws on a wealth of sources, including travel books, guidebooks, dozens of tourists' diaries and letters, providing a firsthand account of the experiences of those who visited these grand estates.

Through its analysis, the book sheds light on the cultural practices and values associated with country-house tourism in the 18th century. It questions the legacies of these early tourists, both as a critical cultural practice and as an extraordinary and controversial influence on British culture today. Country-house tourism continues to be a topic of rich debate for students, scholars, and heritage enthusiasts, as it offers a unique window into the past and the ways in which it shaped the present.

Weight: 526g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501384615