Manor Houses of Bedfordshire Past and Present by David Villanueva

Whether they ever functioned as a Manor, Bedfordshire boasts an impressive display of Mansions, homes of nobility and gentry, built at vast expense, presenting a rich variety of architecture, most previously surrounded by landscaped gardens. Not so many Manor Houses these days are the homes of a single aristatic family, but many have survived through the National Trust, as corporate or organizational buildings or redesigned as residential apartments. Sadly, a few no longer exist. Independent local history researcher and author, David Villanueva takes you on a county-wide tour of some 35 Manor Houses. Accompanying photographs or antique engravings capture the scene while the text concentrates on the owners from the earliest records to the present day.