Secrets of an English Country House

A Year at Mapperton

Secrets of an English Country House is an insider’s view of an English manor house, exploring its beauty, history and the realities of running and restoring an historic estate. 

Step inside Mapperton with Julie Montagu, Countess of Sandwich as she reveals the realities of running an English country estate and the secrets hidden behind its historic doors. 
 
What’s it really like to live in Britain’s finest manor house? In 2016, Julie and her husband Luke Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, took on the stewardship of Mapperton and its 1,900-acre gardens and wildlands. Since then, they’ve been restoring rooms, reviving forgotten relics, welcoming visitors, launching a rewilding project and sharing it all with millions on their popular YouTube channels, @MappertonLive and @AmericanCountess. 
 
Chicago-born Julie brings the past to life as she chronicles the highs and lows of estate living through the seasons. She delves deep into the extraordinary history of Mapperton and the Montagu family – from rediscovered paintings and antique gowns to long-lost diaries – and finds a kindred spirit in Gilded Age heiress Alberta Montagu, 9th Countess of Sandwich.  
 
Secrets of an English Country House offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at a working estate – a celebration of its beauty, its history and the determination it takes to keep an English country house thriving in the modern world. 
 
Part memoir, part social history and part country‑house chronicle, this is an essential read for anyone fascinated by Britain’s historic houses, the families who care for them and the realities of preserving heritage in the modern age.