Nineteenth-century technical innovations in British country houses and their estates

Abstract

The country house was the dominant feature of life in most parts of rural Britain until the early twentieth century, providing the economic and social focus for the whole community. From the late eighteenth century, owners were increasingly motivated to design or upgrade their houses to provide increased comfort for themselves and their guests, and to improve the efficiency of the house's operation. This goal was facilitated by a wide range of new types of domestic technology, which had a profound effect on the lives of the people who lived and worked in these houses. The paper presents some findings of a research project based at the University of Leicester, studying the factors influencing the adoption of new technology in country houses and its impact on the inhabitants. The conclusions are helping to inform changes in the way that country houses are presented to the visiting public.