Exploring building history
EDWARD PHELIPS V DIARIES: Excursion to Wiltshire: A Brief Time of Happiness at Stourhead in April 1784 followed by a visit to Zeals House
In Edward Phelips’s diaries statements of activity are recorded, often related to hunting and dining. These statements position Edward and his associates in time and place. Beyond that there is a context that can inform historians. In this case it is the information…
DIARIES OF EDWARD PHELIPS V: 1779 PATRONAGE OF THE LONDON COFFEEHOUSE
I have been working on analysing the diaries of Edward Phelips V of Montacute House, Somerset (1725-1797). This is one of the blog posts which attempts to contextualise entries to examine the culture of the 18th C English country gentry. This post relates to January…
The Church of St Andrew, Winterborne Tomson: An apsidal chancel, wagon roof, west gallery and box pews
The second of the Dorset churches on my August ‘church crawl’ (as John Betjeman would have called such a quest) is just over 3 miles east from Bere Regis in Dorset. A turning off the A31 leads to the settlement of Winterborne Tomson. In a field by a farm is the Church…
MEDIEVAL ECHOES: Church of St Mary, Tarrant Crawford, Dorset
I don’t particularly like to venture out from late July through August, when the schools are on holiday. However, the places that are guaranteed to be free of tourists are parish churches. This August (2024) I ventured out with a friend to visit two Dorset churches…
Do Scallop Shells in Architectural History have Symbolic Meaning?
I have wondered about the symbolic meaning behind the scallop shell in architecture. It is associated with the St James and the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela. Does it have any significance though in its application on buildings or furnishings? This post throws…
THE SHELL-HEADED NICHE PART 2: Late-Tudor & Early-Stuart Architecture in Southwest England
The subject for the dissertation for my master’s degree was on Late-Tudor & Early-Stuart Gatehouses in Central Southwest England. The study of them introduced me to the ‘shell-headed alcove’ or ‘niche’. Several of them have the feature built into them. They are at…
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.