Tewkesbury Abbey: 14th C Faces
On a recent visit to Tewkesbury Abbey, I was struck by the carvings of individual faces from the 14th C. The abbey had an upgrade in the 1320-1350 period, which is likely when the faces were carved. These are faces from over 670 years ago. What were the times they...
1790: ADVICE TO FATHERS – ‘Women, like wines, are not the better for keeping’
I am presently recording the diaries of Edward Phelips V (1725-1797) of Montacute House. They are in different places and have started my project at Montacute House itself, which has kept 4 of them. These are for the years 1759-1774 (one diary - with some backdated...
THOMAS WOLSEY – The Route to Power, Wealth & Magnificence in Tudor England via Somerset
The route to power and wealth that Thomas Wolsey (c. 1470/71 to 1530) followed is extraordinary. From the son of a butcher in Ipswich to one of the most powerful men in northern Europe is unparalleled. I wanted to think about Wolsey in terms of making himself like the...
1828 Shell Grotto at Jordans, Somerset
THE SHELL GROTTO AT JORDANS, SOMERSET Shell grottoes grew as a fashion in the 18th C. The grotto was a creation of somewhere ‘other’ than the formal country house and garden. A magical place embellished with exotic shells, corals, fossils, stalactites, stones and...
Montacute House: 17th C Graffiti – the Mythology of the 17th C Royal Oak & trees of the Monmouth Rebellion
One of the talks I do for local history groups is the ‘Historic Graffiti of Montacute House’. A few years ago, I undertook a project to record the graffiti at Montacute, of which there is a fair amount. The talk attempts to bring to life a glimpse of the social...
THE BENEDICTINES FROM ITALY TO ENGLAND – From Order in Rurality to Urban Powerhouse
Whilst the roots of the Benedictines grew from the Italian countryside, they established some of their monasteries as key centres in England. The Benedictines played an integral role in society, culture, learning and the economy of England from the 7th C through until...
Exploring Building History
Exploring Building History is a website and blog dedicated to establishing a resource of historical information related to the built heritage of England. The regular blog posts aim to provide the reader with a diversity of architectural history subjects. This could be a particular building, individual, monument, subject area, architectural element or historical source. Downloadable factsheets, produced on a regular basis, provide a snapshot of relevant historical data for building history study.