A palace for education

Discover how the UK’s country houses defied the odds to survive as historic monuments and cultural centres

Glamis Castle, Angus, part 2 The seat of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne

This year marks the 625th anniversary of The Canterbury Tales author – and “father of English literature” – Geoffrey Chaucer’s death. He penned this classic, about a merry band of medieval pilgrims te

Somehow, it isn’t hard to imagine the scene of battle here, even on a sultry July morning when only the distant growl of a motorbike interrupts the crooning of collared doves. Perhaps it is the quiet.

It is one of the wealthiest counties in England, with no signs of an exodus of money, say agents. Here are three exceptional country houses for sale in a fashionable area

Glamis Castle, Angus, part 1 The seat of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne