Ambition in Brick – Layer Marney Gatehouse circa 1520
Nestling in the Essex countryside is the magnificent early-Tudor gatehouse of Layer Marney. It was intended to be the imposing entrance to what would have been a grand early-16th C house. Only the wings of the intended house and the gatehouse were completed....
Cold-water Bathing in the 18th Century
Georgian Cold-water Bathing & Balneology – Sir John Floyer & William Falconer Featured Image: The cold-water bath at Corsham Court, Wiltshire, circa 1761-63 Sir John Floyer (1649-1743) was a physician, practicing in Lichfield by 1675 for over 50 years. He was...
The Georgian Bath House at Corsham Court
Hidden in the gardens at Corsham Court in Wiltshire is a delightful and rare Georgian bath house. It dates from circa 1761-3. In 1761 Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown (1716-1783) laid out the plan for the grounds at Corsham Court. The grounds were completed by Humphrey...
40 Years of the Somerset Vernacular Building Research Group
Last weekend I was involved in organising an event to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Somerset Vernacular Building Research Group (SVBRG). The main picture is of the wonderful birthday cake. It was based on a manor farmhouse in South Cadbury, Somerset. The SVBRG...
King John at Worcester – England Bites Back
I believe it was the historian David Carpenter who suggested that the lion at the base of the tomb effigy of King John at Worcester Cathedral represents the people of England. The lion has grabbed King John’s sword and is biting and bending it. The lion is turning on...
King John & England – from Angevin Kingdom to Papal Fiefdom
I recently went to a performance of Shakespeare’s King John at the RSC in Stratford Upon Avon. It is not a play that is performed often, and I wasn’t sure what to expect as I hadn’t read up about the RSC’s performance beforehand. I was blown away by it. It was set in...
Exploring Building History
Exploring Building History is a non-commercial site. It is my own personal musings on architectural history. There is wealth of built heritage in England, and as I explore and think about what I see, I post my reflections on this site.