Making history live

Belmont House, Kent The property of The Harris (Belmont) Trust

This Georgian gem was re-energised with a fresh palette and a sympathetic makeover that make the most of its elegant proportions and vintage character

West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire, part I The seat of Sir Edward Dashwood, Bt, and a property of the National Trust

Capel House, Badminton, Gloucestershire The home of Gerald Harford and Jane MacEwen

Thanks to an innovative renovation, a tiny two-up two-down cottage has been completely transformed into a wonderfully lofty, open-plan space

Barendina Smedley says there is still much to admire, four decades on, in the timeless good taste displayed in the bestselling book The Englishman’s Room