England’s country houses have for centuries been where the rich and grand families have displayed their wealth and status. Today, England is still well endowed with these houses, although many of them are now popular visitor attractions instead of private homes but there are also numerous houses that have disappeared over the years. Some have been demolished as they could no longer be sustained due to the changes in social habits, surrounding development or because of the cost of repairs or death duties; others have been lost through fire, requisitioning, decay and rot. In this book authors Ian Greaves and Emily Osborne examine the lost country houses of Cumbria. Some of these houses are now covered by new housing, while others may stand as ruins or have a few scanty remains in the landscape, their significance in this part of the country evoked once again in these pages.

This fascinating picture of an important but often forgotten part of the history of Cumbria over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in the county or know it well.