Old Ideas Reimagined: Gaudi’s Garden Suburb – Park Guell (1900-14)
Antoni Gaudi i Cornet’s (1852 to 1926) unique style can easily be identified by his buildings in the city of Barcelona and at the Park Guell on the outskirts. It is difficult to unpick fully the varied influences that Gaudi drew upon for his creations. However, this...
WINCHESTER: 12th CENTURY WALL PAINTINGS – A REMARKABLE SURVIVAL
Winchester Cathedral: Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre The Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem is believed to contain the place of Christ’s crucifixion and the tomb in which he was placed and from where he was resurrected. It has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries....
IDENTITY IN MEMORIAL – Part 2 The Horsey Monument, Sherborne Abbey
The Horsey Monument at Sherborne Abbey I find tomb monuments fascinating. They preserve not just a record of individuals but elements of architectural design, ornament, clothing, jewellery, belief, symbolism, image and identity. The Horsey monument in Sherborne Abbey...
THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE IN DORSET – The Horsey Monument Part 1
The Horsey Monument at Sherborne Abbey circa 1565 As I drive around the county of Somerset my journey is frequently punctuated by travel news from BBC Somerset. Often queuing traffic is backed up at the Horsey roundabout at the crossing of the A3088 and the A30 in...
King Alfred in the Somerset Marshes – Part 2
Figure 1: Looking east from the land below Athelney towards Burrow Mump on a misty morning. Whilst the land is reclaimed and cultivated nowadays, it was a patchwork of marshes, reeds and flood water. Low islands stood above the wetlands, only accessible by punts and...
King Alfred in the Somerset Marshes – Part 1
Figure 1: Low-lying mist looking across the Somerset Levels from Aller Church at dawn In this post and the next one I want to concentrate on an area in the Somerset Levels that was a key turning point in the history of Wessex and England. This first post is to provide...
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.