Built between 1864-90 by the 1st Lord Armstrong, Cragside was one of the most modern houses of its time in the country. In the 1880s the house had hot and cold running water, central heating, fire alarms, telephones, a Turkish bath suite and a passenger lift. Most remarkable of all, it was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. The house provides an unrivalled opportunity to investigate late Victorian life in its original setting. Even the variety and scale of Cragside’s gardens are incredible. Surrounding the house on all sides is one of the largest ‘hand-made’ rock gardens in Europe. In the Pinetum below, England’s tallest Douglas Fir soars above 9 woodland giants