The country cottage - small-scale, harmonious, rooted in the landscape - seems to sum up all that is best about Britain. This anthology presents a range of cottages from Northumbria to Cornwall, and from East Anglia to Wales. Some are reflections of place, showing how, for centuries, country people used the materials around them to create buildings that seem to grow out of their surroundings. Others were purpose-built and architect-designed, forming trim terraces in estate villages. Some cottages were built to be lived in, others as eye-catchers, intended to be seen in a view across the park. Drawing on a range of cottages now owned by the National Trust, this book explores all these themes, while the photographs capture their appeal.