The fundamental aim of this chapter is to provide a historical and critical context for understanding contemporary attitudes and approaches to the country house (whether on the part of architectural historians, politicians, visitors, cultural critics or whomever). It describes the process by which the country house has come to be regarded as the core of Britain’s national heritage, before going on to consider the current critique of what is often termed “the cult of the country house.” It also shows how conceptions of restoration and conservation appropriate to country houses have evolved since the mid-twentieth century and examines the different and often opposing principles that make this area controversial. For present purposes, the country house is notable because it is not simply a context of display but, arguably at least, a work of art in its own right and, without a doubt, a highly complex cultural phenomenon.
