Wiltshire is one the best counties in Britain for architectural fancy, for the county's residents have expressed their passion for building in a plethora of styles including gothic, rustic, classical, monumental, Chinese, Indian, Italianate and Japanese. We can see their ingenuity and eccentricity in an equally wide variety of building types, including shell houses, grottoes, pagodas, towers, temples, summer houses, tea houses, gazebos, belvederes, lodges, gatehouses, pavilions, arches, loggias... the list is endless. The stories behind them are many and various - built out of passion, megalomania, showing off one's wealth or to keep up with one's neighbours, or in contrast, delicate artistry and finesse.
Many are in well-known estates such as Stourhead and Bowood, but others are tucked away in private grounds and rarely seen by the public, to which exclusive access has been gained for this book.