English Country House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

English Country House - Essay Example This essay discusses that people build English Country Houses for spending time in a country side, away from the chaos of city life and its hassles. However, making enormous investments on such mansions, and incurring hefty expenditures on their maintenance, also has a sociological purpose. Owing such houses elevates the social status of the investor and offers that person an aura of belonging to a certain class. The architectural splendour and lush landscapes, coupled with their historical significance make country houses the most popular asset in English society. People cherish such mansions as priced possessions also because of their value in terms of social and environmental aspects. Due to these characteristics, in people consider a country house as an ideal place for spending vacations and getting relaxation from the monotony of their daily routine. However, since the cost towards purchase and maintenance of such houses is exponential, only the highly rich and elite, or people in the higher echelons of power are able to afford such mansions. A large house or mansion having great architectural merit in English country side is commonly known as English Country House, and some people also mention it as stately home. The very purpose of the house is to spend time in a country area without any botheration of city life headaches and to enjoy life. The country houses are known for their architectural, historical, landscapes, social and environmental aspects. In fact a Country House is a spot where you can relax and spend your vacation. ... â€Å"As Mark Girouard points out in his anthology  A Country House Companion, there's a mythology surrounding English country houses that extols them as "magical places" and their owners as wise custodians who tend the land, look after their tenants and servants, devote their lives to public service, fill their galleries with beautiful pictures and their libraries with rare books, and are unfailingly hospitable to friends and guests† (Morrison, 2011). The decline of English Country Houses starts with the rise of taxation, agricultural depression, and financial shortfalls in maintaining such huge houses, and the vast area involved as well. Due to there issues, most of such historical houses have been transferred to private trust, national museums or local museums. Some of the houses are now running the show by giving it on rental for short period activities such as wedding, civil ceremonies, film shooting, and as corporate entertainment venue. The survival of such houses is in jeopardy. Ever since the inception of high rise buildings in cities, and the influx of villagers to cities, and the consequent demand for accommodation in big cities, public interest has been growing in exploring the social values of English country houses. The status they give to the owners, the lifestyle, and also the identity of such houses attracts public attention. With new trends in architectural style and interior designing, the grand old country houses had lagged behind in attracting customers or tourists until a few years ago. Recently there is a reverse trend in the public minds concerning the serenity, charm, prestige and splendor involved in owning a country house or in staying there. Though they are modeled on the 18th and 19th century architectural style, people have an eye on them.