Every great house has a woman at its centre. Sometimes she’s in the dining room. Sometimes the garden. Either way, things tend to arrange themselves around her.

The home bends to her will: mostly with ceremony, occasionally with convenience. Rules shift accordingly. Objects are ornamental, practical, or even both. Proper behaviour is encouraged. Only when convenient, of course.

Choices and gestures shape the house, and those within it. That’s the appeal of The Great Estate.

The rest is simply architecture.