Dorfold Hall, Cheshire, part I The home of Charles and Dr Candice Roundell An outstanding Jacobean house was an unexpected product of dynastic disappointment. John Goodall examines the remarkable circumstances of its construction

Three historic country houses in Yorkshire, a stone’s throw from the most northerly of Britain’s 16 white chalk horses, offer comfortable contemporary living and fascinating backstories

The Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London EC2

There is something undeniably enchanting about this 16th-century farmhouse in Dorset, especially during the festive period. The open fire in the sitting room roars, the soft glow of candlelight fills

When fashion designer Louise Markey and her husband, former BBC Radio 6 Music DJ, Tom Ravenscroft, first set foot in their eight-bedroom house in the Cotswolds, they were met with moth-eaten carpets,

These five standout properties have halls made for towering trees, sparkling decorations and Champagne-bright celebrations– festive magic that will practically begin before new owners move in