When Henry VIII came to the throne, richer than most kings or England had been and with unlimited resourcefulness, the time had come for the development of the domestic buildings of the country in a way hitherto impossible. Throughout the reigns of the Tudor sovereigns there was continuous activity in this direction, as well as in other departments of the national life, and the evidence which remains proves what an upheaval of thought took place. Hitherto the most important, if not the main, attribute of a residence was its invulnerable character. The walls were as wide as many rooms at the present day, and this solid mass of stone or brick was pierced by apertures, varying in size but generally only large enough to admit light without providing an entrance for an enemy. At the foot of the building the holes were especially small. If the windows were glazed at all it was with horn as often as not, though glass was easily procurable. Fireplaces had been features of the interiors for many years before Tudor times, and they were often supplemented by open hearths in the middle of the large hall, the smoke escaping through a louvre in the roof. An example of this effective mode of warming is still to be seen at Penshurst. The somewhat prison-like characteristics of these early buildings became obsolete through the advent of more peaceful occupations and by the invention of weapons against which stone and brick could not stand. The impetus given to more rational building gathered in force and, inspired by a monarch himself enterprising in such matters, the results were to be seen everywhere. The lands and properties which changed hands at the Suppression of the Monasteries brought wealth to many people, who immediately began to re-house themselves on a scale in keeping with their ample resources. In these buildings of Henry’s time there remained an inclination towards strength, and the small window openings only disappeared slowly. There was evidently a certain reluctance in giving up the appearance of a fortified dwelling-place, even though the building itself would be practically useless to defend the inmates against new means of attack. By the time of Elizabeth, however, this lingering aversion to the purely domestic building had vanished, and while the exteriors began to be more ornamental the interiors were arranged with increasing regard for comfort and convenience. The Hall remained as the chief feature of the ground floor, though by this time some families had abandoned the practice of taking their meals with their retainers. The Long Gallery came into existence as the principal room upstairs, being serviceable for recreation and entertainment. Its bay windows, when not too numerous, contributed to the internal and external interest of the building. Wide and majestic wooden staircases came into use and the spaciousness of the period was expressed admirably. Gardens, laid out with architectural forethought,