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Through the Windows of an Ordinary House: A History of England

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Through the Windows of an Ordinary House: A History of England

By: Ian Mortimer
Narrated by: Ian Mortimer
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Over a thousand years of history. One house. Countless lives. This is the extraordinary story of England told through one ordinary house – from the bestselling author of the acclaimed Time Traveller’s Guides.

This book tells the history of England from the point of view of the people who lived in Mearsdon – a house in Moretonhampstead on the edge of Dartmoor, where historian Ian Mortimer now lives. Remarkably, Mortimer has been able to trace daily life here from the coming of the Saxons to the present day.

Blending the broadest national history with the most intimate local events, Mortimer acquaints us with those who occupied the building – from the first known owner, a thirteenth-century priest, to his own family living there today. Along the way he illustrates important social changes – such as the Norman Conquest, the Black Death, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, and the two world wars – through the experiences of the house’s inhabitants and their neighbours in deepest Devon.

The result is a unique and fascinating perspective on English social history. Looking through the windows of Ian Mortimer’s house, we not only see the people who lived there over the ages, we also gaze through their eyes as they witness the world changing around them.

‘Endlessly fascinating … a must-read for history lovers everywhere’ TRACY BORMAN, author of The House of Boleyn

‘An intimate portrait of a thousand-year sweep of England’s history … Intriguing and compelling’ DAN CRUICKSHANK, author of The English House

'Brilliant ... Richly researched and engagingly written' ANDREW ZIMINSKI, author of Church Going

© Ian Mortimer 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Architecture Europe Great Britain Historical Home Design & Renovation House & Home England Middle Ages War
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Critic reviews

It is great stuff … [an] original history of England … Mortimer has established himself as a fine teller of tales about people, rather than kings … A book rich in anecdotage (Max Hastings)
An intimate portrait of a thousand-year sweep of England’s history that – through the architectural prism of one ordinary house – conjures up the lives of the long dead and offers insights into a seemingly unfathomable past. An intriguing and compelling book (Dan Cruikshank, author of The English House)
This endlessly fascinating book tells the story of England from the inside out, giving full expression to the often neglected ordinary people who lived through the vagaries of royal will, rebellion, prosperity and hardship. A wealth of exquisite period details and vivid descriptions immerse the reader in an extraordinary house and its community over the course of almost 2,000 years. A must for history lovers everywhere (Tracy Borman, author of The House of Boleyn)
To understand England, you do not necessarily need to travel everywhere. Sometimes one very old house is enough. In Through the Windows of an Ordinary House, Ian Mortimer brilliantly tells the story of England through the lens of a single house ... Richly researched and engagingly written, this fascinating book reminds us that the history living quietly within the walls of many seemingly unassuming homes is anything but ordinary
In this gripping book, Ian Mortimer sets out to tell the history of England through one medium-sized house and the people who lived in it, including a peasant, a shoemaker, a murderous clergyman and, eventually, a historian. Along the way some old historical cliches get busted … [and] the past moves from faded parchment into full and glorious colour (Kathryn Hughes)
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