And the world was a song and the song was exciting

Plumpton Place was the last of the country houses Edwin Lutyens built for Edward Hudson.

It could be that I'm susceptible to romance and sentimentality tonight having seen A Single Man yesterday and The Young Victoria earlier today but I find these photos so beautiful its almost heartbreaking.

A Single Man has stayed with me, nibbling at the edges of my mood all day today and well into this evening. It's a superb film, beautiful to look at, very moving and if you haven't seen it, please do. Colin Firth, Julianne Moore (Moores' English accent is so convincing I had to Google where she was born - she was not born or raised in England) and Matthew Goode inhabit their roles but it's Colin Firth who rips the heart out you.

Photos from Edwin Lutyens Country Houses: from the Archives of Country Life, Gavin Stamp, Aurum Press 2001.