This is a guide to the history, social function and architecture of the English country cottage. Loosely based on Mark Girouard's classic survey, "Life in the English Country House", this look at the development of the English cottage covers three central areas of interest - building, living and working. The building section exanmines the architectural changes dictated by need and fashion from the Middle Ages to the Arts and Crafts movement. The living section looks at the difficulties of family life and stylistic trends according to tase of society. The final section of the book, on working in and around the cottage, examines the various uses to which the cottage was put in its rural context - from baking and brewing to textile outworking.