Medieval History
Because early medieval domestic buildings were usually made of wood, only the stone edifices raised for Christianity and military protection remain, says Rosemary Hill.
At the heart of the Old English epic poem Beowulf is Heorot, the splendid mead hall built by King Hrothgar to celebrate his victories in war. With its throne room, its patterned floor and its wide and towering gables, this was "the hall of halls", full of feasting and harping but, the poet adds ominously, "awaiting a barbarous burning". Such was the fate of most Anglo-Saxon architecture. Wood was plentiful in northern Europe and cheaper than stone, so houses, even those as grand as Hrothgar's, were built of timber and burned easily and often. Beyond the hints in Beowulf and the remains of halls that archaeologists have found at Cheddar and at Yeavering in Northumberland, the story of early British architecture is almost entirely told through the churches and monasteries for which stone was used. That story begins in the late sixth century with the re-introduction of Christianity and the arrival of St Augustine.
At first it was a matter of make do and mend rather than creativity. Augustine's first church in Canterbury was patched together from an existing Roman one and was in turn swept away by the later cathedral.
Click here to read this article from The Guardian
- Anglo-saxon Feasting Hall Discovered In Kent
Archaeologists from the University of Reading have uncovered the remains of Anglo-Saxon hall that would have accommodated at least 60 people. The discovery has been made at the Lyminge Archaeological project, which has already produced several important...
- Exploring The Enigma Of Bristol Cathedral
The Medieval art, architecture and history of Bristol Cathedral is the focus of a new book by researchers at the University of Bristol. The study, edited by Jon Cannon and Beth Williamson of Bristol?s Department of Historical Studies, offers a detailed...
- Life In A Medieval Home
Shandy Hall is a good example of a late medieval timber-framed hall, built around 1430. Shandy Hall is a bit like a museum, but charting the house's own history is difficult. The architectural scholar Nikolaus Pevsner reckoned it was built in the...
- Master's House In Ledbury Dates Back To The 15th Century
As part of the planning for the new library and customer services centre in Ledbury, a full survey has now been carried out on the historic Master?s House. The survey, carried out by Sawyer and Fisher Quantity Surveyors, has revealed the building dates...
- Atherton On Tolkien (trans.) & Tolkien (ed.), Beowulf
J.R.R. Tolkien (trans.) and Christopher Tolkien (ed). Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell. London: HarperCollins, 2014. 448pp. Reviewed by Mark Atherton Beowulf is "the major piece of Old English verse...
Medieval History
Architecture: Early medieval survivors
Because early medieval domestic buildings were usually made of wood, only the stone edifices raised for Christianity and military protection remain, says Rosemary Hill.
At the heart of the Old English epic poem Beowulf is Heorot, the splendid mead hall built by King Hrothgar to celebrate his victories in war. With its throne room, its patterned floor and its wide and towering gables, this was "the hall of halls", full of feasting and harping but, the poet adds ominously, "awaiting a barbarous burning". Such was the fate of most Anglo-Saxon architecture. Wood was plentiful in northern Europe and cheaper than stone, so houses, even those as grand as Hrothgar's, were built of timber and burned easily and often. Beyond the hints in Beowulf and the remains of halls that archaeologists have found at Cheddar and at Yeavering in Northumberland, the story of early British architecture is almost entirely told through the churches and monasteries for which stone was used. That story begins in the late sixth century with the re-introduction of Christianity and the arrival of St Augustine.
At first it was a matter of make do and mend rather than creativity. Augustine's first church in Canterbury was patched together from an existing Roman one and was in turn swept away by the later cathedral.
Click here to read this article from The Guardian
- Anglo-saxon Feasting Hall Discovered In Kent
Archaeologists from the University of Reading have uncovered the remains of Anglo-Saxon hall that would have accommodated at least 60 people. The discovery has been made at the Lyminge Archaeological project, which has already produced several important...
- Exploring The Enigma Of Bristol Cathedral
The Medieval art, architecture and history of Bristol Cathedral is the focus of a new book by researchers at the University of Bristol. The study, edited by Jon Cannon and Beth Williamson of Bristol?s Department of Historical Studies, offers a detailed...
- Life In A Medieval Home
Shandy Hall is a good example of a late medieval timber-framed hall, built around 1430. Shandy Hall is a bit like a museum, but charting the house's own history is difficult. The architectural scholar Nikolaus Pevsner reckoned it was built in the...
- Master's House In Ledbury Dates Back To The 15th Century
As part of the planning for the new library and customer services centre in Ledbury, a full survey has now been carried out on the historic Master?s House. The survey, carried out by Sawyer and Fisher Quantity Surveyors, has revealed the building dates...
- Atherton On Tolkien (trans.) & Tolkien (ed.), Beowulf
J.R.R. Tolkien (trans.) and Christopher Tolkien (ed). Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell. London: HarperCollins, 2014. 448pp. Reviewed by Mark Atherton Beowulf is "the major piece of Old English verse...