Beyond the Gatehouse: The Eccentric Lives of England's Aristocracy

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Description
Beyond the Gatehouse is a lighthearted, witty but factual biographical account of the eccentric lifestyles of the builders and residents of some of England's best-known country houses. Extraordinary buildings require extraordinary people, and over the centuries our historic houses have produced more than their fair share of oddballs. Insulated from the outside world by vast wealth, rolling acres and the social status that a title implies, aristocrats have always been able to amuse themselves - and now us - by pursuing their idiosyncratic interests and manias to the point of eccentricity.

David Long lifts the lid on all that's bizarre, implausible, unthinkable and delightfully wacky about our glorious heritage homes and their unusual occupants.
DELIVERY

We offer free standard UK delivery on all orders over £50.

Orders up to £30 are charged a flat fee of £4.95

Orders between £30.01 and £50 are charged a flat fee of £6.95.

Usual UK delivery timescale (excluding custom prints) is between 5 and 7 working days from the date of dispatch. Please allow up to 14 working days for delivery. For custom print delivery pricing and timescales see below. These timescales may vary especially when we have online sales and in the weeks before Christmas.

Delivery Worldwide

We can also ship most items worldwide. 

For full details, including prices, click here.

Custom Prints

Your prints and frames will be handmade by King & McGaw at their Sussex workshop.

Unframed orders are shipped within 5 working days (normally shipped next day).

Framed orders are shipped within 20 working days.

Further information on delivery timescales for custom prints can be found here.

RETURNS

If you are not completely satisfied with your item you may return it within 28 days for a refund.

For further details on returns click here.

Unfortunately we cannot offer a refund on custom prints unless they are faulty or we have made a mistake. Custom prints are exempt as they are made to order.

Code Cracker

Are you a subscriber to The National Archives mailing list? Sign up now to get our latest news -- and code crackers!

To mark the publication of Spydle, until the end of the year our e-newsletter will contain monthly taster puzzles – written exclusively for subscribers, with the solution published here.

Solution - Puzzle #1: Treason and plot

The words can be unjumbled as follows:

BLENHEIM + G

WESTMINSTER + U

WINDSOR + Y

RICHMOND + F

BUCKINGHAM + A

LAMBETH + W

KEW + K

HAMPTON COURT + E

ST JAMES’S + S

The name spelled out is GUY FAWKES, a figure involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 – which, if successful, would have blown up the Palace of Westminster.

Solution - Puzzle #2: Continental conundrum

The European cities are as follows:

MILAN

ANTWERP

TOULOUSE

ATHENS

HAMBURG

AMSTERDAM

ROME

ISTANBUL

The name hidden in the first letters of each city is Mata Hari, who was convicted of spying for Germany during the First World War.

Manufacturer/Publisher: History Press
Binding: Paperback
Author: David Long
Date Published: 2022
Pagination: 160p

SKU: 9780750998932

Description
Beyond the Gatehouse is a lighthearted, witty but factual biographical account of the eccentric lifestyles of the builders and residents of some of England's best-known country houses. Extraordinary buildings require extraordinary people, and over the centuries our historic houses have produced more than their fair share of oddballs. Insulated from the outside world by vast wealth, rolling acres and the social status that a title implies, aristocrats have always been able to amuse themselves - and now us - by pursuing their idiosyncratic interests and manias to the point of eccentricity.

David Long lifts the lid on all that's bizarre, implausible, unthinkable and delightfully wacky about our glorious heritage homes and their unusual occupants.
DELIVERY

We offer free standard UK delivery on all orders over £50.

Orders up to £30 are charged a flat fee of £4.95

Orders between £30.01 and £50 are charged a flat fee of £6.95.

Usual UK delivery timescale (excluding custom prints) is between 5 and 7 working days from the date of dispatch. Please allow up to 14 working days for delivery. For custom print delivery pricing and timescales see below. These timescales may vary especially when we have online sales and in the weeks before Christmas.

Delivery Worldwide

We can also ship most items worldwide. 

For full details, including prices, click here.

Custom Prints

Your prints and frames will be handmade by King & McGaw at their Sussex workshop.

Unframed orders are shipped within 5 working days (normally shipped next day).

Framed orders are shipped within 20 working days.

Further information on delivery timescales for custom prints can be found here.

RETURNS

If you are not completely satisfied with your item you may return it within 28 days for a refund.

For further details on returns click here.

Unfortunately we cannot offer a refund on custom prints unless they are faulty or we have made a mistake. Custom prints are exempt as they are made to order.

Code Cracker

Are you a subscriber to The National Archives mailing list? Sign up now to get our latest news -- and code crackers!

To mark the publication of Spydle, until the end of the year our e-newsletter will contain monthly taster puzzles – written exclusively for subscribers, with the solution published here.

Solution - Puzzle #1: Treason and plot

The words can be unjumbled as follows:

BLENHEIM + G

WESTMINSTER + U

WINDSOR + Y

RICHMOND + F

BUCKINGHAM + A

LAMBETH + W

KEW + K

HAMPTON COURT + E

ST JAMES’S + S

The name spelled out is GUY FAWKES, a figure involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 – which, if successful, would have blown up the Palace of Westminster.

Solution - Puzzle #2: Continental conundrum

The European cities are as follows:

MILAN

ANTWERP

TOULOUSE

ATHENS

HAMBURG

AMSTERDAM

ROME

ISTANBUL

The name hidden in the first letters of each city is Mata Hari, who was convicted of spying for Germany during the First World War.