So, what you do . . .

. . . is - build a huge tower, both to protect yourself from the Scots and to show how wealthy you are. Then you extend it to make a country house. Then you decide to build yourself a Hall, based on Greek designs (see extra), and if the village gets in the way of your view, you just clear it. To get the stone for all this building you create a quarry and then you make the quarry into a garden. Then, when the buildings get into a state of disrepair and you've already sold the furniture to pay taxes, you 'transfer them to the guardianship of the state'.

I am not keen on Stately Homes, for lots of reasons, and I soon get bored walking round Gardens, but today we were wandering our way home from Northumberland, on a lovely sunny day, and came upon Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, and we went in, mainly because we could get in with our English Heritage Pass, and we thought they might do a nice lunch, which they did. 

And it's all actually quite interesting.