England’s country houses have for centuries been where the rich and grand families have displayed their wealth and status. Today, England is still well endowed with these houses, although many of them are now popular visitor attractions instead of private homes, but there are also many houses which have disappeared over the years. Some have been demolished as they could no longer be sustained due to the changes in social habits, surrounding development or because of the cost of repairs or death duties; others have been lost through fire, requisitioning, decay and rot. In this book author Ian Greaves examines the lost country houses of the north-east of England in the historic counties of Northumberland and Durham, which includes Tyne and Wear. Some of these houses are now covered by new housing, others may have a few scanty remains in the landscape, but in this book the once vibrant life of these houses and their significance in the region is evoked once again.

This fascinating picture of an important but often forgotten part of the history of the North East over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in the region or know it well.