The Encyclopaedia Britannica was born 250 years ago this month out of a desire to be enlightened or, in the case of its creator, Colin Macfarquhar, to enlighten others.
Not for nothing was the Age of Enlightenment so named. But rather extraordinarily there is still a market for it, as Octavia Pollock finds out. Once the first set of books required in any home library, Encyclopedia Britannica has long since been superseded by the internet. Country Life's Top 100 architects, builders, designers and gardeners.