England Luxury Homes

Though England is noted throughout by its mild climate and rich soil, there are a variety of locations across the island that both possess a unique cultural atmosphere and lend themselves to luxurious settings. The city of London itself, which was once the de facto political capital of the world by virtue of the dominance of the British Empire during the 19th Century, possesses a plethora of famed museums, churches, residencies, pubs, and other landmarks that, altogether, could fill several libraries' worth of travel books on their own, however even this sprawling metropolis is by no means the entirety of England itself. Just beyond the limits of Greater London, in fact, exists a larger urban landscape that is characterized by medium to small towns that are interconnected by both road and rail. Within their streets, which reflect, in layers that spread outward from each town center, both historical and modern architecture and urban planning, one can find thriving cultural and social spots that carry on England's oldest and newest traditions. In many ways, this area, which is largely inhabited by Britain's middle class, reflects the mainstream of what foreigners think of as normal English life.

Not far beyond London and the suburbs that populate southeastern England, however, stretches a great interior of modestly populated hamlets and villages. For centuries, these so-called Midland areas have been home to various aristocrats, business leaders, and other ancient households that sought to escape the day to day bustle of London. It was within their country estates, in fact, that much of the drama associated with 17th Century English Civil War and earlier dynastic struggles was carried out. Other than colorful stories, that epoch of history left behind a variety of baronial properties that, in turn, are marked by their use of Tudor, Baroque, Neo-Classical, and Neo-Gothic architecture.

Many individuals in search of a English luxury home, however, may be more inclined toward the 'Lake District', otherwise known as the 'Lakelands', in northwestern England. Resting just north of the Pennine mountain range, which, in and of itself, is known for its country retreats, the Lake District was a favorite of 19th Century Romantic poets and painters. Today, it is one of England's most popular tourist destinations and the host, within its awe-inspiring 'fells' and glens, of many of the nation's most pristine estates. Likewise, the finger-like band of craggy coast that forms western Cornwall and juts into the Atlantic Ocean at Land's End is also known for its share of vacationers and rural estates, though in the case of that region the flavor is decidedly one of charming, rustic tradition.