Lost Country Houses of Derbyshire

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 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 Maxwell Craven examines the lost country houses of Derbyshire. Some of these houses are now covered by new housing, others may stand as ruins or have a few scanty remains in the landscape, but in this book the once vibrant life of these houses and their significance in this part of the country is evoked once again. This fascinating picture of an important but often forgotten part of the history of Derbyshire over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in the county or know it well.

Maxwell Craven has written extensively on architecture and antiques for the Georgian Group Journal, Country Life, and various local magazines. Whilst he has written extensively on the history of Derby and Derbyshire, on architecture and on the Midlands Enlightenment, his real love is for Roman history and post-Roman Britain. His most recent book is 'Magnus Maximus, a Neglected Roman Emperor and his British Legacy' and he has written a comprehensive guide to the Saxon Shore forts of Britain. He is a former chairman of Derby Conservation Area Advisory Committee, a member of Derby Cathedral FAC, a Trustee of Derby Bridge Chapel and the Derby Museums Trust, was Derby Museum Assistant Keeper of Archaeology and from 1982 Keeper of Antiquities. He was awarded an honorary DLitt.by the University of Derby; he was made MBE and elected FSA in 1999.