The power and the glory

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

Marble Hill, Richmond-upon-Thames, Greater London In the care of English Heritage

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

Arundel Castle, West Sussex

Home to a marquess and an RAF air crew – and believed to be the birthplace of a Queen – this red-brick Jacobean mansion contains stories spanning centuries

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