The Beauties of England and Wales, or, Delineations Topographical, Historical and Descriptive of Each Country. Embellished with Engravings. By John Britton and Edward Wedlake Brayley.

First edition,18 vols., bound in 25, 8vo (220 x 130 mm), 25 additional engraved title pages, each with a vignette view from one of the counties described in the volume, 714 engraved topographical views of buildings, ancient monuments, country seats, churches, scenery, &c. occasional foxing as usual, uniformly bound in contemporary full smooth russia, gilt fillet either side of spine bands, second and fourth compartments gilt lettered direct, boards with gilt multi fillet border, central armorial stamp to centre (see below), marbled endpapers and edges, some light wear to extremities, upper joint to final volume split. ìThe work describes and illustrates many Country Houses (or Seats) so that of the 727 plates [including the engraved title pages] included in the publication there were 197 plates, which relate to Country Houses. This is a considerable number and makes this work important to the Country House enthusiast. Quite a few houses do not appear to be illustrated in any other published work.îóCooper. Provenance: Armorial gilt stamp on upper covers of William Alexander Macfarlane-Grieve (1844-1917) of Penchrise and Edenhall in Roxburghshire, and Impington Park in Cambridgeshire. Holmes, p.326; Cooper I, 27; BAL 231.