A WONDER OF THE 14th C: The Abbot’s Kitchen, Glastonbury Abbey
With the recent clear, cold weather of January, I visited Glastonbury Abbey to take photographs. I have been fascinated by the Abbot’s kitchen and wanted to reflect on its form and function. The building reminds me a Tudor or Early-Stuart conceit. A playful...
CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, COLYTON, DEVON: Early-17th C Tomb Monument of Sir John Pole and his wife Elizabeth: Elaboration, Memento Mori & a Shakespeare Connection
From the 16th century the expression of neo-classicism is beloved by gentry. They wish to demonstrate their education and taste in elaborate ways. Tomb monuments are a fixed mechanism of doing this. Neo-classical taste is a trying to hark back to beyond the Gothic,...
CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, COLYTON, DEVON: Late-16th C Tomb Monuments of William & Katherine Pole: Ancestry, Classical Taste & Morality
The Pole Monuments at Colyton Church, Devon Part 1: 16th C William & Katherine Pole I have a particular interest tomb monuments as they represent micro architecture, sculpture, ornament, and social history. In the church of St. Andrew at Colyton there are some...
THE PANTHEON: Mastery of Roman Architecture & Engineering
The 18th-century Grand Tour must have been exciting time for young patricians seeking to discover the ancient world first hand in Rome. If they could put aside the temptations of pleasurable diversions, then serious learning and procuring a collection were attainable....
Book Review of ELTHAM LODGE: Where Perfection meets Convenience by John H. Bunney
Book Review of ELTHAM LODGE: Where Perfection meets Convenience by John H. Bunney I was intrigued by the title of this publication as it sums up the idea of country house building. Their design is an attempt at mastery of perfection, to present certain ideals and...
GISO OF LORRAINE: A Northern European Reforming Bishop in Anglo-Saxon Wells
On a recent visit to Wells Cathedral, I noticed the tomb effigy of Giso of Lorraine in the north aisle. He had been Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1061 to 1088. His church would have been the Anglo-Saxon cathedral which stood before the current Gothic one. In 909, the...
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.