The seventeenth century witnessed a radical and far-reaching transformation in English architecture, as new and purer forms of classical design became firmly established, sweeping away earlier fashions. Using Hertfordshire as a case study, Hunneyball's ground-breaking interdisciplinary study reveals how this dramatic change came about, by reconstructing for the first time a complete cross-section of building activity in a single county. This book reconstructs the complete built landscape--not just houses but churches, monuments and almshouses--to reveal a competitive and visually sensitive environment in which people at al social levels exploited architectural display to enhance their personal image.