England's architectural heritage is one of the richest and most finely preserved in Europe, from palaces and cathedrals, through country and town mansions, city squares and terraces, railway stations and factories, to parish churches and workmen's cottages. This fully illustrated survey of that heritage describes the changing styles of architecture over the centuries, set against the social and historical background that led to those changes and challenged architects and builders to produce imaginative new ideas and make bold technical experiments.