The Country House Experience

Country houses are a dominant presence in British culture. The recent focus on the National Trust’s ownership and interpretation of the properties in their portfolio during the so-called ‘culture wars’ has revealed just how potent these sites still are today.

In our Country House Experience short course, we will explore key issues and place them in historical context. We will consider the functions and purposes of these properties, and their fascinating place in our understanding of gender, class and national identities. We will focus on what the country house means, and has meant, to various ‘stakeholders’ over the last 300 years. These include those who have owned them, and those who have lived in them, but also country house tourists, from the eighteenth century through to the present day.

We will cover:

• The country house: politics and power
• The country house: gender and the family
• The country house and empire
• The early days of country house visiting
• The Treasure Houses of Britain: country houses as repositories of art
• Country house tourism: the National Trust and the stately home business
• The destruction of the country house
• The country house: the nation’s heritage?

Assessment is via a 5000-word essay (100%).

This course is ideal if you have an interest in heritage and history, or you are a museum, heritage or culture professional looking to expand your knowledge.

Please note: this course consists of eight evening classes at Birkbeck, and two Friday field trips to country houses. Please make sure you are able to make these dates before registering on the course.