The COUNTRY LIFE Top 100 Britain is blessed with some of the world’s greatest architects, interior designers, garden designers and specialist craftspeople. For the fourth year running, COUNTRY LIFE selects those with a demonstrable track record in creating the perfect country home an architectural and masterplanning practice Craig Hamilton Architects Architects and, with Bridie Hall, the cornucopia of decor- A clear focus on Classical architecture has ADAM Architecture ative delights that is the Pentreath & Hall earned this Radnorshire-based practice Highly respected experts in traditional archi- shop. Recent projects include the interior plenty of plaudits. The company special- tecture and renowned for significant new restoration of the early-18th-century Chettle ises in the design of new country houses, country houses, refurbishments and con- House in Dorset and the interior design including one for The Prince of Wales in sidered alterations to listed properties, this of the former Hardy Amies townhouse on Carmarthenshire, as well as sacred and practice is working on the extension of a listed Savile Row, W1, as a flagship store for the monumental architecture. house on a country estate in Berkshire and tailoring services of Hackett. 01982 553312; a new country villa in Hampshire. 020–7430 2424; www.benpentreath.com www.craighamiltonarchitects.com 01962 843843; www.adamarchitecture.com Benjamin Tindall Architects Donald Insall Associates With more than 40 years’ experience, Ben- This leading architectural practice, now 62 ANTA Architecture jamin Tindall continues to run his Edinburgh years old with eight UK offices, specialises Conservation architect Lachlan Stewart practice today. Renowned for repairs and in the care, repair and adaptation of his- leads a practice known for both new houses alterations to historic buildings, the firm offers toric buildings and the design of new ones, designed in the Scottish vernacular and for a full range of services, from landscaping including private houses, on sensitive sites. the historic restoration and repair of listed to the design of light fittings, furniture and Recent projects include the restoration buildings, which include the renovation ironmongery. Notable projects include the of an Elizabethan house in Wiltshire, con- of the Rodel House on the Isle of Harris. restoration of a significant Arts-and-Crafts servation at one of the grandest Georgian 01862 850100; www.anta.co.uk house in the Channel Islands and ongoing country houses in Britain, Wentworth Wood- work to Bonnington House at the Jupiter house, South Yorkshire, and a new entrance Ben Pentreath Artland sculpture park, Edinburgh. pavilion at Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd. The talented Mr Pentreath runs a small, 0131–220 3366; 020–7245 9888; but perfectly formed interior-design studio, www.benjamintindallarchitects.co.uk www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk 78 Country Life, March 4, 2020 www.countrylife.co.uk Francis Johnson and Partners Castle, Suffolk, which they are converting of a Grade I-listed house in This Yorkshire practice works across the into a creative workspace and cafe. Richmond-upon-Thames and UK, specialising in substantial country 01728 688747; www.hrma.co.uk new country residences in Hamp- houses in the Classical tradition and the shire and Berkshire. conservation of historic buildings, includ- Ian Adam-Smith Architects 01865 865165; johnstoncave.com ing a new house on a country estate in North English country-house specialist Ian Adam- Yorkshire and the renovation of a late-17th- Smith says he likes to create ‘houses that Julian Bicknell & Associates century house in Suffolk. Established in look as if they have evolved and are suitable Julian Bicknell’s forte is traditional archi- 1937 by the late, great architect Francis for the way we like to live now’. As an example, tecture, including grand country houses Johnson, the practice is today run by he cites a listed Georgian house in Hampshire, in the Classical style. He has recently com- Malcolm Stather and Digby Harris. where he is linking it to adjoining outbuild- pleted the design of some 50 traditional 01262 674043; ings and adding a contemporary kitchen English brick houses, varied in style, www.francisjohnson-architects.co.uk pavilion. He has clients across West Sussex, that make up the new Magna Carta Park Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire and London. at Runnymede, Berkshire. Francis Terry and Associates 01428 644644; www.ianadam-smith.co.uk 020–8891 1001; Francis Terry is admired for his ability John Simpson Architects www.julianbicknell.co.uk to design and restore country houses with A leading proponent of New Classicism, a deep understanding of the beauty and the eminent John Simpson is known for Lindsay Buchan Architects balanced proportions of Classical archi- both residential and institutional designs, COUNTRY LIFE photographed the Arts-and- tecture. He founded his own close-knit particularly educational buildings at Eton Crafts house Muirfield Gate, East Lothian, practice four years ago, after working for his College and Cambridge and Oxford univer- previously known as The Pleasance, in eminent architect father Quinlan Terry for sities. He is also deeply involved in ‘creating 1907, then again when it was reconstructed 20 years. He is the current chair of the beautiful places where people would enjoy by Lindsay Buchan a century later. Now, Mr Traditional Architecture Group, a talented living’, which currently include a village Buchan is at work on further buildings on artist and author of an inspiring monthly blog. on the outskirts of Gloucester. the Pleasance estate, overlooking the Firth 01206 580528; www.ftanda.co.uk 020–7405 1285; of Forth, as part of his focus on the consid- www.johnsimpsonarchitects.com ered refurbishment, extension and con- Giles Quarme Architects struction of houses throughout Scotland. Passionate about the preservation of his- Johnston Cave Associates 0131–554 9008; toric buildings—and chair of the Ancient This practice first came to wide attention www.lindsaybuchan.co.uk Monuments Society to boot—Giles Quarme with the design of a flint-clad castle runs a London-based practice known for at Wormsley Park, Buckinghamshire, for Marc Deaves Architect its sensitive renovations and design of new Sir John Paul Getty in 1987. Today, Rory An imaginative country-house expert who buildings within Conservation Areas. Duncan and Chris Lawler run a company handles a small number of projects per Current projects include the restoration known for the sensitive design of substan- year, Marc Deaves is currently at work on of The Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, tial buildings in established settings and a Wiltshire rectory that dates from the 13th Windsor, and of the Bayswater house where the integration of new designs and modern century, as well as projects in London’s J. M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan. services into old country houses. The firm’s Cadogan and Grosvenor estates. He con- 020–7582 0748; www.quarme.com current projects include the restoration sults on all aspects of historic-building Groves-Raines Architects Studios Specialists in the conservation and sustain- able re-use of historic buildings in Scotland and Ireland for more than 40 years, this Edinburgh-based practice is now run by son of the founders Gunnar Groves-Raines and is developing a reputation for progressive new-builds. Recent projects include the restoration of properties on the magnificent Wildland estates in the Scottish Highlands. 0131–467 7777; www.grovesraines.com Hoare, Ridge & Morris Mark Hoare and Ted Ridge run the creative practice they founded with Charles Morris, designing alterations and additions to country houses, as well as new buildings with tradi- tional character and high energy performance. The pair’s understanding of the relationship between house and garden and the flow of rooms means that their work typically extends to detailed interior and landscape design. They recently purchased an old club Preceding page: Stockton Manor in Wiltshire, restored by R. Moulding & Co. Above: in a Georgian townhouse near Framlingham The refurbishment of an 18th-century Cotswold farmhouse by Simon Morray-Jones 80 Country Life, March 4, 2020 www.countrylife.co.uk Home Counties and South of England, the recently completed Wolverton Folly, Worcestershire, for Nicholas Coleridge, and Classical galleries for St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford. 01206 323186; www.qftarchitects.com Russell Taylor Architects A well-regarded Georgian and Regency expert, Russell Taylor has a deep under- standing of the Classical language of archi- tecture. From offices in London and Cornwall, the practice undertakes new-build, extension and alteration projects across the South of England, including London townhouses, country houses and estate buildings. 020–7261 1984; www.rtarchitects.co.uk Simon Morray-Jones This imposing new-build house in Norfolk was designed by Thomas Croft Architects Particularly well known for his passion- ate conservation of historic properties in restoration and consents, frequently advis- clients. Recent projects include breathing Bath, where he is based, Simon Morray- ing clients pre-purchase on the material new life into St Giles House, Dorset, owned Jones has almost 40 years of experience condition of a historic house and its poten- by the Earl of Shaftesbury, and the award- of restoration, conservation and new-builds. tial to become a warm and comfortable winning transformation of the Grade I-listed Recent projects include The Newt hotel and home suitable for modern life.