Exploring building history
MONTACUTE HOUSE BALUSTRADE: Individual Masons at Work
Surrounding the east court of Montacute House is a balustrade, an elegant feature idea that made its way from Renaissance Italy. Often used for loggias and balconies, it has been applied at Montacute as a running feature on top of a wall. The balustrade is punctuated…
CHURCH OF ST. CUTHBERT, WELLS: A Carved Pulpit of Independence – 1636
The church of St. Cuthbert in Wells contains a remarkable carved oak pulpit of 1636. Its degree of craftsmanship and intriguing subject matter make it a standout piece of 17th century woodwork. The Jacobean period (c. 1603-1625) extends in terms of style into the mid…
PALLADIAN BALUSTRADES: A 16th Century Quiet Revolution in Architecture
I have a bit of a thing about balusters and balustrades. The ones we are familiar with today came about in the Renaissance and were eagerly adopted by the builders of country houses and other monumental buildings in England. They are part of the ‘neo-classical…
Grand Tour of Winchester Part X: 200 Years of Cage Chantries: 16th Century Gothic & Renaissance: Bishop Fox (d. 1528) & Bishop Gardinder (d. 1555)
Chantries of Bishop Richard Fox & Bishop Stephen Gardiner Flanking the old shrine of St Swithin and the feretory platform at Winchester are two chantries belonging to the first half of the 16th Century. One displays the height of mastery of the late Perpendicular…
Grand Tour of Winchester Part IX: Twin Chantries of late 15th Century: Cardinal Henry Beaufort (d. 1447) and Bishop William Waynflete (d. 1486)
The two 15th century chantries that flank the shrine of St Swithun at Winchester are an exuberant expression of stone masons’ skills at the height of Perpendicular architecture. Years as Bishop Location of Chantry 1 Cardinal Henry Beaufort 1405-1447 S side of later…
Grand Tour of Winchester Part VIII: Bringing the Perpendicular to Winchester: Bishop William Edington (d. 1366) & Bishop William Wykeham (d. 1404)
Royal masons working at Winchester in the 1360s developed the ‘cage’ chantry.[i] The earliest free-standing ‘cage’ chantries in England are the two built in the nave of the cathedral. They were built for Bishop William Edington and Bishop William Wykeham. Years as…
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.