The Book Fairies of Kent were joined at Hever Castle by author Clive Aslet as they and other book fairies around the UK found country houses at which to leave The Story of the Country House!
Discover the fascinating evolution of the country house, from its Roman precursors to the present, with today’s book fairy activity! We have been hiding copies of The Story of the Country House by Clive Aslet – and Clive himself joined us to hide copies in a special location, too!
Clive Aslet as ‘Book Fairy for a Day’:
We loved welcoming Clive Aslet as a book fairy! He helped book fairies to hide copies of his book around Hever Castle & Gardens, and found some great spots.
Country Houses around the UK!
Book fairies in other areas of the UK also explored country houses local to them! Here are some of their pics:
About the book:
The Story of the Country House is an authoritative and vivid account of the British country house, exploring how they have evolved with the changing political and economic landscape. Clive Aslet reveals the captivating stories behind individual houses, their architects, and occupants, and paints a vivid picture of the wider context in which the country house in Britain flourished and subsequently fell into decline before enjoying a renaissance in the twenty-first century.
The genesis, style, and purpose of architectural masterpieces such as Hardwick Hall, Hatfield House, and Chatsworth are explored, alongside the numerous country houses lost to war and economic decline. We also meet a cavalcade of characters, owners with all their dynastic obsessions and diverse sources of wealth, and architects such as Inigo Jones, Sir John Vanbrugh, Robert Adam, Sir John Soane and A.W.N. Pugin, who dazzled or in some cases outraged their contemporaries. The Story of the Country House takes a fresh look at this enduringly popular building type, exploring why it continues to hold such fascination for us today.
Lucky finders!
We love hearing from those who find the books we hide! Here is a handful of those who were lucky enough to find Clive’s book today.
Not lucky enough to find a copy?
This book is available in all good book shops! If they don’t have a copy, ask them to order one in – they usually arrive to the book shop the next day! If you cannot get out to the shops, you can still support independent book sellers by ordering your copy of The Story of the Country House from Bookshop.org!
Would you like to be a book fairy?
We are always welcoming new fairies! If you have some books you’d like to share and the desire to share them, all you need is a set of official book fairy stickers to get started! Every order comes with a little guide.
