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...
Luppitt Baptismal Font: Odin, Dragon, Serpent, Centaur, Wolf, Ravens & Martyrdom?
The font at St. Mary’s Parish Church, Luppitt, East Devon The small parish of Luppitt, nestling in the Blackdown Hills, lies a few miles from Honiton. I came across Luppitt a few years ago when researching the very colourful Sir Peter Carew (d. 1575) of Mohuns Ottery...
Medieval Echoes: A walk by the River Brue in Bruton, Somerset
Walking around Bruton, particularly down by the riverside, one can get the feeling of medieval Somerset. The single-span bridge would have seen trains of packhorses and mules, laden with woolsacks, woollen cloth, and silken cloth making their way through Bruton and...
Architects of the Neolithic: The First Architects & Engineers in Britain
Last year (2022) I visited the excellent exhibition at the British Museum called 'The World of Stonehenge'. It was less about Stonehenge and more about the world at the time of Stonehenge in Europe. It brought together objects from across Britain and Europe...
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.