The DiCamillo Database of British & Irish Country Houses
The database is a work-in-progress. Many houses listed require more information before their records can be considered representative. A work of such broad scope inevitably entails errors and omissions; we welcome your suggestions, corrections, or additions.
For the purposes of this database, a country house is generally defined as a manor house, or larger, built since approximately 1500 A.D. At some point in its history the house was the country seat of a landed family that had, or has, an estate (agricultural land) that served as the center for local community life and may have included a park, village, or other supporting acreage.
Generally, a house needs to have a minimum of five bays to be considered a country house. A small percentage of the entries are townhouses, villas, follies, lodges, gardens, and ancient castles (in some cases castles were converted from defensive buildings into country houses). These are included because of associations with a country house or a landed family.
We advise you to verify any information upon which you intend to rely. If you’re planning on visiting a house, always call before starting out on your journey. Some houses are open only by appointment or have very limited hours. Posted hours can change, or a special event may result in an unexpected closure.