Dear wonderful readers,
Big news from the house today! Julie’s book about Mapperton is out for pre-order as of this morning, and we wanted you to be among the very first to hear!
It’s called Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton, it’s published by Quarto, and publication day is 24th September 2026.
We are so, so pleased with how it has turned out.
In this newsletter, you’ll find:
• What’s in the book
• Two chapters on Alberta
• Pre-order gifts (and 3 free months of Mapperton Live!)
• Publication day: 24th September 2026
Let’s get into it.
A full year at Mapperton, from January to December. The house. The family. The archives. The collections. The gardens. The rewilding.
All of it.
And the photographs, which are the thing we keep going back to. Whether you’ve been to the house in person, joined us on a Grand Historic Tour, or followed along from afar, this is the most complete picture of Mapperton we have ever been able to share.
Two of the chapters in the book belong to Alberta, the 9th Countess and Luke’s great-grandmother.
One is on the research: the archive, the wonderful volunteer team who have been working through her correspondence, and the Alberta AI Luke built from her own letters.
The other is on her belongings, including the 1914 House of Worth gown Julie eventually found in a trunk of seventeenth-century armour. We are, frankly, still not over that one. (Did you see the video of Julie crying when she found it?!)
We wanted pre-ordering to actually mean something. So here is what’s on offer if you order before 23rd September 2026 and then complete the claim form.
If you’re already a Mapperton Live Patron:
• A live online Patron-only Q&A with me after publication
Each month from May to publication at the end of September, you’ll get a monthly digital gift, including:
• A digital scrapbook full of images that didn’t make the book
• A special signed, downloadable bookplate just for Patrons
• And more surprises that we’re still whipping up
If you’re not yet a Patron:
• Three free months of Mapperton Live at Hogarth level (level 3), starting on publication day
• A place in the draw for one of 100 spots in a live online Q&A with me
• A signed downloadable bookplate the minute you complete the form
• A Christmas card from Luke and me, posted to you in December
Save the date!
Pre-orders really do shape how a book gets stocked and shared, so ordering early makes a real difference.
And if you know someone who would love this—a friend who adores country houses, a family member who is forever reading history—please do pass the link along.
From both of us, thank you for being part of the Mapperton community. This book is as much yours as it is ours; your visits, your support, and your steady presence across the years are part of what made writing it possible.
With appreciation,
Luke & Julie xx
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