by Helen Kain | May 24, 2026 | England, Georgians (1714–1837)
The transformation of English architecture from the medieval Gothic to the grandeur of Baroque and ultimately to the refined symmetry of Classical Palladianism was a complex and fascinating journey. Influenced by political shifts, technological advancements, and key...
by Helen Kain | Apr 5, 2026 | Castles & Stately Homes, Featured, Gardens
Wrest Park was something of a surprise. Glenn and I had based ourselves at the Gardener’s Cottage at nearby at Audley End, and knew very little about Wrest Park beyond a vague awareness that it was an English Heritage property with notable gardens. Well, the...
by Helen Kain | Mar 29, 2026 | Castles & Stately Homes, Featured
Tucked along the windswept north coast of Norfolk, Holkham Hall is a marvel of 18th-century Palladian architecture—majestic yet restrained, classical yet rooted in the rhythms of working land. It’s a house that wears its ideals proudly: harmony, balance, and...
by Helen Kain | Mar 8, 2026 | Castles & Stately Homes, Featured
At Warwick Castle the past does not feel distant. The towers rise solidly above the River Avon, their thick stone walls suggesting permanence and authority. Castles were built to project exactly that impression. Strength. Stability. Control. Yet the history that...
by Helen Kain | Feb 15, 2026 | Featured, Unique Places to Stay
Our trips to England almost always begin or end in London, where we typically spend several days staying near St James’s or Westminster, and occasionally farther north into Mayfair. In years past, we greatly enjoyed The Stafford London and the St James’s Club...
by Helen Kain | Nov 30, 2025 | Towns & Cities, Unique Places to Stay
There’s something delightfully unhurried about the rural British approach to the festive season. While city lights dazzle and department stores pulse with urgency, in the countryside, Christmas arrives by way of gardens, greenhouses, and the smell of mulled cider. On...
