Further reading

English Manor Houses by Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd and Christopher Simon Sykes (Laurence King Publishing, 2001) hardback £40
This coffee-table book focuses on the manor houses of England. These smaller scale houses, often of more ancient origin than the 'great houses', are scattered all over the country, ranging from simple Norman halls to picturesque Tudor manor houses and handsome buildings from the reign of the Stuarts. Whereas most of the great houses have now been sold by their original owners and are maintained as museums, many of the manor houses are still privately owned and lived in as homes. Accompanying the photographs of some 40 manor houses, one of which is Ightham Mote, the text describes the architecture and the families who created the houses.

A Gazetteer of Medieval Houses in Kent by Sarah Pearson, P S Barnwell and A T Adams (Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1994) ISBN: 0113000499
This companion volume to The Medieval Houses of Kent (ISBN 0113000472) and The House Within (ISBN 0113000480) presents a detailed record of 414 medieval buildings spread across 107 parishes, many of them dated through dendrochronological analysis. Descriptions of the buildings are accompanied by a list of documentary sources and a bibliography of previous studies. The book is profusely illustrated with plans, sections and scale drawings of architectural details, and it will be of value to anyone interested in the primary evidence gathered by the Royal Commission in the course of its survey of Kentish buildings, conducted between 1986 and 1992.

'Building repairs and the conservation of the painted ceiling in the New Chapel at Ightham Mote' by Stuart Page in Journal of Architectural Conservation (Volume 4 Number 2, July 1998)
The story of Ightham Mote and of the works that have been so important in defining parts of its history are skilfully presented by Stuart Page in this article. The nature of the work and the processes of careful assessment and evaluation that led to the success of the project are explained and illustrated in a manner that leaves no doubt as to the high professional standards of those involved. The article focuses particularly on the conservation of the 16th-century painted ceiling in the house's New Chapel.

Brick Building in Britain by R W Brunskill (Orion, 1997) paperback £16.99 ISBN: 0575065354
The Tudors reintroduced the use of bricks in building in Britain for the first time since the Romans. The manufacture of brick, its use in historic buildings and the changing styles of brick-based construction and decoration are all described in this well-illustrated book.

Life in the English Country House: A social and architectural history by Mark Girouard (Yale University Press, 1993, 2nd edition) paperback £16.95 ISBN: 0300058705
Classic introductory book on the architecture, use, and evolution of English country houses from the medieval period to the Second World War. Although not an archaeological text it provides a good background on the way house plans, facades etc reflect the original purpose of the building and social standing and expectations of the builder.

The English House by James Chambers (Thames Methuen, 1985) hardback £14.95 ISBN: 042300400X
Tells the story of the English house in all its richness and diversity, from the earliest medieval dwellings to the 20th century. Includes a good introductory chapter on Tudor country houses.

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