The Journal

Stories from the field

Notes on the craft, history and pleasures of the period cottage: from the language of thatch to the art of the cottage garden.

Places · 29 March 2026 · 5 min read

Three Towns We Keep Returning To

From the Northumberland hills to the Isle of Wight coast, three corners of England where the period house is at its most beguiling.

Reflections · 8 min read

A word everyone knows but is tricky to define: we trace the cottage from its medieval roots to its modern muddle.

Books · 6 min read

A twenty-year-old copy of the Millers' Period Details recently came into our possession, and it has aged remarkably well.

Reflections · 5 min read

Five disadvantages to living in a cottage.