They were no longer villas but "power houses" in Sir John Summerson's term, the symbolic centres of power of the Whig "squirearchy" that ruled Britain.
De var ikke længere villaer, men 'power houses' med arkitekshistorikeren John Summersons (1904-1992) udtryk, de symbolske centre for magten hos den landadel "Whig 'squirearchy'",, der styrede Storbritannien.