Sep 20, 2019
Figure 1: Longford Castle Entrance Facade (1591). On a summer visit to Longord Castle in Wiltshire my eye was caught by some ornamental details that reminded me of Montacute House in Somerset. Whilst a completely different building to Montacute, I found myself...
Sep 13, 2019
Longford Castle lies to the south-east of Salisbury, close to the banks of the River Avon. Its origins are Elizabethan (completed circa 1591), when it was known as Longford House. It was restored, remodelled and extended in the 18th and 19th centuries. In this post I...
Aug 29, 2019
Figure 1: Montacute House, Somerset. Balusters forming part of a balustrade on the roofline (circa late 16th C). Montacute House was a complete new build and elegant balusters were part of the design. The Tudor Renaissance Baluster The baluster became an architectural...
Aug 18, 2019
The early-16thC dovecote or pigeon house at Athelhampton House sits in a solitary position close to the main house. It was meant to be seen and admired in form and function. Its practical function was to provide the best conditions for the pigeon parents to raise the...
Aug 16, 2019
Palmer’s Farm Dovecote (right-hand building) – part of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust at Mary Arden’s Farm A few days ago, there was a great scrabbling in the garden. I rushed out to discover the dog had captured and dispatched a pigeon. Whilst upset at the demise...
Aug 14, 2019
Arcadia in Dorset Part 3: Cranborne Manor House Gatehouse Tudor and early-Stuart gatehouses were built close to the houses they served. They usually opened into a court in front of the house. It was later in the 17th C that they became unfashionable and in the 18th C...
