Tag: architecture

Three Cathedrals – Wells – Part One

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date February 25, 2015
3 Comments on Three Cathedrals – Wells – Part One

Welcome to the next cathedral in my Three Cathedral series of posts.

We visited Wells Cathedral decades ago and we remembered very little of it apart from a wide sweeping stone stairway. So when we returned in the autumn we looked forward to reacquainting ourselves with its architecture. We guessed where the Cathedral would be in the little city of Wells by following the wide street with its market right to its very end. The market stalls almost funneled us towards the cathedral gates.

Just before entering the cathedral grounds we came across this beautifully colourful National Trust shop.

An open green with specimen trees showed us the way to go.

Wells Cathedral is a tall imposing structure designed to dominate the city and its inhabitants.

A modern entrance had been added in recent years to give visitors a comfortable way in and to preserve the main doorway in. The use of green oak and matching stone ensured that the modern extension fitted beautifully and most sympathetically. the new entrance also carefully led us to a new cafe again designed to match. From every one of its windows we got views to entice us onward to explore.

The vaulted ceiling of the cloister walk has been sensitively restored to show its intricate complex web of wooden beams.

As well as architecture it is the craftsmanship displayed in our old ecclesiastical buildings that impresses us most. It is good to see them well preserved and carefully, lovingly looked after.

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Often when exploring church buildings it is possible by looking up, to discover carvings of characters. like this “impish” character below left. He looks like he is plotting his next trick. The wooden carving on the left was high up and hard to see in detail and he was part of an ancient complex clock.

Let us finish this first part of two posts about Wells Cathedral by looking at other characters we managed to find hidden here and there throughout the great building.

In part two we carry on with our tour and discover an amazing curved staricase and some modern additions.

Tags architecture, carvings, cathedrals, church architecture, Somerset, stone carving, wood carving

architecture Church architecture

Three Cathedrals – Hereford – Part One

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date February 1, 2015
3 Comments on Three Cathedrals – Hereford – Part One

On a freezing cold day in mid January we decided to visit Hereford which, although only an hours journey or so away from us, we had never visited. It is the county capital of Herefordshire. The city centre was not very impressive at all and we had the impression much of its ancient architecture had been destroyed in the ’60’s and ’70’s, exactly the same as had happened to our county town Shrewsbury. A few gems remained but there were an awful lot of ugly building around them.

But on a day with sleet and wet snow showers we were here to see the Cathedral. We first sited the cathedral as we walked up a narrow cobbled street with local artisan shops lining each side. The Cathedral School buildings clustered around the entrance gateway to the Cathedral Close so uniformed school children busily and hastily crossed the close in every direction.

Edward Elgar, composer, is celebrated with this beautiful bronze statue so full of character, where he leans back on his old Samson bicycle admiring the cathedral.

A single raindrop had settled itself right on the end of his nose, and hung ready to drip onto his magnificent moustache.

Close to the main Cathedral entrance a recent oak framed building housed the workshop of the stone mason. Masons are constantly kept busy on repairs to stonework in every cathedral around the country.

The Dioscese of Hereford was founded in 676 and the first Cathedral dedicated to King Ethelbert was built in 794. Ethelbert was to become a martyr and the Cathedral dedicated to him became a place of pilgrimage. His bones stored at the Cathedral became a centre of a pilgrimage. A new Cathedral was built between 1020 and 1040 but in 1075 was destroyed by the Welsh.

Thus major rebuilding work followed between 1107 and 1158 in the Norman style, still much in evidence today. So the Cathedral today contains examples of architectural styles from the Norman period right up to the current time.

The main way into the Cathedral is through a huge stone porch. Inside massive oak doors were well furnished with iron hinges and a lion headed door knocker.

Once inside the incredible height of the building became apparent with wide intricately carved stone pillars leading the eye up to an incredibly beautifully carved and painted vaulted ceiling.

It is unusual to see such colour in an Anglican building in this country. We were soon to discover that this building had been very colourfully decorated as we found original examples. Hereford Cathedral is a fine example of English Gothic church architecture. Within it we were to find colour in its stained glass windows, in the tiles on its floor, on wood carvings and in fabric.

The first example we found was the decoration in orange and red around this tiny stone window but we were soon to find even more colour in the mosaic patterning around the base of the carved stone font.

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Probably one of the newest examples of colourful craftwork to be found was on the intricately embroidered kneelers hanging from the seats.

We found many examples of detailed and richly painted carvings in both stone and wood.

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Before we finish part one of our visit to Hereford Cathedral we shall look down at our feet to admire the colourful, patterned tiles.

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All this ancient delicate craft needs protecting from the damp and cold. Several of these huge, iron, pot-bellied oil burners were working hard to do this. In part two we shall look at carvings in stone and artistry in glass and in words on paper.

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Tags architecture, cathedrals, church architecture, Hereford, Herefordshire, townscapes

architecture buildings photography recycling townscapes Yorkshire

Haworth – Village of the Brontes – Part Two

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 18, 2014
3 Comments on Haworth – Village of the Brontes – Part Two

Welcome back to Haworth, the village of the Brontes, where you find us just about to enter the church, in whose parsonage the family of writers lived. As we walked the gently sloping roadway to the church and parsonage we passed another interesting, eccentric shop. Haworth seemed to attract such places. The church itself was a tall, bulky building and very imposing – not an attractive building at all. But visitors are attracted to it for its Bronte links.

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Throughout the church interior we discovered links with the Brontes, which was not always easy in the gloomy interior. Light is always strange inside churches and you feel uncomfortable using a flash. Check out these plaques, old photos and documents.

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Almost opposite the church was the school in which Charlotte Bronte taught. It was a very short journey to work!

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The tall stone wall surrounding the churchyard was covered in mosses. Close up some patches looked like pictures of earth from the air.

The parsonage frontage looks straight at the church and was built on a high piece of land so looked most imposing.

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Beyond the Parsonage a narrow footpath took us up to the edge of the moors which influenced so much of the Bronte family writings. Styles and gateways on this track were extremely narrow and walkers had to squeeze through. They were also of strange designs which we had never seen before. The walls alongside the track as it passed the last few village dwellings presented me with the chance to take a few texture shots. In places the path was made of flat stones sunk into the grass.

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We returned to the village centre and took the gentle stroll down the Main Street, with its eclectic mix of shops many displaying art and crafts. We soon discovered we were visiting soon after the village had celebrated the day the Tour de France cycle race came and the day after it had celebrated Halloween. Spot the recycled cycles and the spooky happenings.

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As we left the village to start our long journey home we made a diversion over the moors to take a short wander in the footsteps of the Bronte family. It was easy to see how its isolation and atmosphere provided such inspiration.

Tags architecture, bicycles, Brontes, churches, Halloween, Haworth, moorland, moors, recycling, Tour de France, Yorkshire

architecture buildings colours garden buildings gardens gardens open to the public Italian style gardens Wales woodland woodlands

Portmeiron – the work of an eccentric.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date September 4, 2014
5 Comments on Portmeiron – the work of an eccentric.

We always enjoy spending the day at this crazy, quirky and totally exuberant “garden” on the Welsh coast near Portmadoc. Portmeiron is a village and gardens created by the eccentric Clough William-Ellis who bought the site in 1925 and then spent the following 50 years developing it into what we can visit and enjoy today.

The village is a collection of buildings reminiscent of an Italianate style. Every wall is brightly painted in an array of extravagant colours. Some are hotels or holiday cottages, others restaurants and cafes while others are shops and galleries. It is a busy little place sitting on a strip of land below the Lleyn Penninsula and it fits snuggly between the beach and a wooded slope.

In between the collection of crazy buildings a team of gardeners work hard to maintain patches of colourful gardens. The soil is both shallow and full of stones and the land is on a steep slope so gardening here is a tough challenge. So come through the towering gateway and wander around with us.

Although the Italianate style of the buildings that fascinates at first glance after a while the interesting juxtaposition of colours begins to catch the eye. Colours that you would not think of putting together when choosing paint for your home actually work beautifully.

Although the bright colours dominate every scene once your eyes and mind adjust to them interesting details come to the fore, such as these bright blue ironwork, a relief sculpture alongside a ring, classical figures, the beauty of this stone archway and the vintage petrol pump.

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We took a break from the colourful conglomeration of buildings and ambled along through the wooded slopes above the village itself. Here we discovered ancient trees native and cultivated and an atmosphere of peace, with restful greens and relative silence, broken only by the calls and song of birds.

We followed the woodland path until we found ourselves close to the cliff tops and followed it down towards the shore, where the buildings began again. This time they had a maritime twist to their architecture with white and blue colours dominating.

As the road way climbed upwards we returned to the brightly coloured buildings of the village.

We were fascinated by the interest of some visitors in particular buildings which it appears were featured in a TV series from the 1960’s, The Prisoner, which still has a strong cult following. It adds yet another layer of interest to this utterly fascinating “one-off” place.

Tags architecture, archways, Clough William-Ellis, coastal gardens, colour, colours, gardens, North Wales, Portmeirion, woodland, woodland walks, woodlands

architecture buildings canals light light quality photography reflections

A Canalside Walk in the City Centre

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 26, 2014

A canalside walk in the city centre! It just has to be Birmingham. You may remember a recent post about the new library in the great city of Birmingham. To those of us who live in the centre of the UK and not in the South and who know the city well, then it is obvious that Birmingham should be the Capital of England and not London. Being in the middle of the country it could represent the whole nation properly without the dreadful North-south divide that having the capital in the south has created.

The first photo is a self portrait and also sets the scene. The following batch illustrates the quality of light available for me to use that day. All the photos were taken on my Galaxy Phone’s camera – great little camera to use on the streets when you don’t want to be noticed. People remain at ease if you have a phone in your hand rather than a camera.

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The new library proved what a vibrant, forward thinking city Birmingham is. This post will feature a part of the city’s past that has been brought back to life. Its canals. Here small business thrive, cafes and bars are full of life and people just wander looking contented.

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We soon discovered that there is such an array of buildings of all shapes, sizes, functions and ages to be viewed from the canal towpath.

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It was hard to imagine as we walked the towpaths that this thin strip of water was a hub of transport a few centuries ago, the equivalent of the clogged M6 motorway we had traveled on to get to it. This little tug barge was one of the few signs of the canal’s previous importance.

Our usual coffee break was taken within the comfort of one the National Convention Centre cafes. One of our favourite concert venues, the Symphony Hall is integrated with this building. There are some wonderful features here both inside and out.

As we progressed around our canal-side ramble we got occasional glimpses of the New Library. Can you spot it in the picture below?

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No canal wandering can be complete though without a few reflections to enjoy, and not forgetting a nice old curvy bridge!

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I keep trying to get a good picture of shadows created by benches and am never very pleased with the results. The one below I was actually quite pleased with. I then finish off with a pic of patterns found beneath our feet and my favourite photo of the day, the glass globe against a filigree of delicate branches.

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Tags architecture, Birmingham, canals, cities, cityscapes, modern architecture. townscapes, towpaths, water

architecture buildings garden design garden photography gardening gardens open to the public National Trust The National Trust

Waddeston – not my style of garden but …….

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date September 22, 2013
7 Comments on Waddeston – not my style of garden but …….

We went to Waddeston by default! We were planning to visit another garden in Oxfordshire, but as we got close we decided to check the details of the garden, especially how to find it. The trouble was the garden details also showed that we were visiting on a day when it was closed. Oops!!

Plan B quick! Luckily we found another garden literally a mile from where we had parked up to get directions to our original destination. From the description in our book, the garden at Waddeston did not sound my style of gardening but the architecture of the house itself sounded interesting. So we decided to go and have a look.

We arrived to discover Waddestonto be an architecturally fussy building in the style of a French chateau. I admired it but didn’t like it. Jude, the Undergardener liked it a lot.

There were lots of fussy little details in the building, such as this ornate gate post.

The gardens close to the house were very formal similar to the bedding schemes found in our town parks. Too bright and again too fussy for my liking.

But this one bed was interesting as the colours were far more subtle. It turned out that this border was based on ancient lace work from the house.

Walking a few minutes from the house into the more informal areas of the garden we came across a real surprise, a very ornate terrace of aviaries housing rare birds. These birds were being bred with the intention of building up species numbers and reintroducing them back into their natural habitats.

Further from the house away from the formal gardens there were small cameos which interested me more.

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So, although I was unsure when we arrived at Waddeston, I will now admit that I did enjoy the visit. Even though I found the rigidity of the formal bedding schemes with their gaudy colours unpleasant, I can see that they were well executed here.

Tags architecture, bedding schemes, formal gardening, formal planting, National Trust

architecture buildings renovation Shropshire

Exhibition in The Old Flax Mill

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date June 30, 2013
4 Comments on Exhibition in The Old Flax Mill

Our daughter, Jo, occasionally shows some of her jewellery at exhibitions. The latest was in an amazing venue, an old and unique building in Shrewsbury, the Flax Mill.

Sadly this special building is little more than a wreck but at last it is being renovated and given a chance of a new life. What makes it unique is that it is the first ever skyscraper in the world. All the earliest skyscrapers in Chicago were based on the construction used here. It is hard to comprehend how the current state of this building has been allowed to happen.

Anyway at last things are looking up. To help launch the redevelopment local artists and craftspeople were invited to exhibit some of their work based on the theme of “regeneration”. Jo showed some of her silver jewellery designed around the theme of the structure of plants that first regenerate a destroyed habitat.

The photos can only give a clue as to their quality as I had to photograph them through the glass of the show case.

The exhibition gave a rare chance to see inside this building prior to the builders moving in. Signs of old energy supply and structural materials gave glimpses into the previous lives of the building as a flax mill and as a malt house.

This unusual venue for art works to be shown presented strange juxtapositions.

There wereinteresting textures, shapes and colours wherever the camera lens roamed. Click on the “Flax Mill” photo and then follow me and my camera around using the arrows. I hope this helps you experience the strange atmosphere this building evokes.

Tags architecture, buildings, flax mill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

architecture buildings Shropshire townscapes

The Architectural Heritage of Shrewsbury Part 2

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date February 7, 2013
11 Comments on The Architectural Heritage of Shrewsbury Part 2

This is the second post about the architecture of our county town. the photos for the posts were taken in late autumn.

Continuing our journey through the streets, alleys and pathways of Shrewsbury we move away from the station towards the river.

Firstly we go down a narrow steep road where these blue features against the beautiful red stonework of the old town walls caught my eye.

Just to show that Shrewsbury’s architecture isn’t all about the past we next visit some 20th and 21st century buildings. The first picture shows the dreadful 70’s concrete monstrosity that is the town’s only multi-storey car park with a new building attached to its right. At its base is a row of bus-stops.

When we have a close look at this new building we see that it is a hotel which is still to open. I prefer it to the 70’s building next to it, but we shall have to see how well it weathers.

The reason that there are so few example of good modern architecture in our county town, is that so many residents are stuck in the past. Any proposals for modern architecture are strongly objected to by many. Below is a sad reflection of this where architects have tried to reflect the town’s medieval heritage. We just ended up with this mock half-timbered shopping centre.

And now off to the riverside! The old centre of Shrewsbury is totally enclosed within a loop of the River Severn.

Below is our wonderful new theatre and the new sculpture created to commemorate Charles Darwin.

My favourite structure in this part of the town is this pedestrian suspension bridge. It is such a simple but elegant design and certainly invites you to walk over its gentle arching span. It sways as you walk across and the sway gets stronger the more people are crossing over.

Tags architecture, River Severn, riverside, Shrewsbury

buildings photography Shropshire

The Architectural Heritage of Shrewsbury – Part 1 From Station to Castle.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date January 15, 2013
7 Comments on The Architectural Heritage of Shrewsbury – Part 1 From Station to Castle.

Back to some Shropshire architecture for this posting as promised. At the back-end of 2012 I posted a couple of articles based around the market town of Ludlow after being challenged by some followers to feature architecture photos. So here is another batch of posts on the architecture of Shropshire.

Just ten minutes up the road we find the county town of Shropshire. It is not a large town but its ambition is to become a city. Shrewsbury is famous for its historical buildings, for being the birthplace of Charles Darwin and for being the friendliest, most well-mannered town in England.

We don’t go into our shire capital often for the usual reason ie shopping. We avoid shopping whenever we can and try even harder to avoid shopping in town centres. Too much noise, too many people, too much traffic!

But we love Shrewsbury for its buildings and the entertainment it provides for us. Theatre, cinema, jazz club and coffee houses.

This series of posts feature the buildings of our town. They will not follow a chronological order but we shall explore streets, alleys and lanes in bite-sized chunks of town, chunks just the right size to explore in a half day. It would be all too easy and obvious to present the architecture in historical order but I really want to give you the atmosphere of patches of the town. Sometimes the selected areas will seem random but that is how my mind works.

The starting point for today’s random collection of buildings is the coffee shop in Marks and Spencers. After a latte (Malc) and cappuccino (Jude), we are suitably refreshed and warmed up.

First stop is the school attended by Charles Darwin, where we find a big, bronze statue of the great man himself sat outside, while inside on one of the windowsills is the scratched signature of his brother. The building now houses the town’s public library and this famous graffiti is in between the book cases. Darwin is often described as the town’s most famous son, but he is more than that. The most intelligent person ever to have lived for example?

The building displays interesting detail in its stonework and a wonderful big sundial with two faces sits astride the one corner.

The cobbled lane leading to the library is overlooked by an interesting row of town houses and a beautiful gateway.

We walked on down Castle Street towards one of Shrewsbury’s most photographed buildings. It appears in many books about railways and about the Victorian era. The railway station. How can a railway station look so good?

To the left of the station forecourt we spotted a real “Mary Poppins” balustraded roof garden constructed in wonderful shades of red.

From the railway station we see hints of the castle, so we made our way towards it.

As we walked around this small corner of Shrewsbury town little details attracted my eye and my camera lens.

Tags architecture, buildings, castles, Charles Darwin, photography, railway stations, Shrewsbury, townscapes

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Rural Shropshire – Architecture Old and New

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date December 28, 2012
2 Comments on Rural Shropshire – Architecture Old and New

Visitors come to Shropshire for its wonderful countryside, beautiful old market towns and for the peaceful atmosphere. Rural areas of Shropshire are dotted with old farms with ramshackle buildings, barns, cattle biers, cottages and farm houses, but there are isolated examples of good modern architecture. The Ludlow Food Centre provides a good example of this based around old farm buildings and a row of cottages but given a new use and so a new lease of life.

I have always liked their sign seen in the photo above, with the simple representation of fields in natural colours. Sadly recently it has changed to just lettering which is nowhere near as interesting.

There is now just the row of cottages left which have been renovated recently and are lived in once again. The walls show an attractive combination of brick and wood and the chimneys are most impressive.

Behind the cottages is the new Food Centre and Garden Centre and these sit alongside a coffee shop and post office in old farm buildings. They have certainly been given a new lease of life. Needless to say we visit the coffee shop whenever we are close by.

The Food Centre itself is housed in a building that reflects the property’s farming past, with a huge entrance reminiscent of the old barn doorways that allowed loaded carts through and it is clad in darkly painted wood a popular finish for old farm buildings especially barns. Inside local food producers, a baker, a butcher, cheese maker etc, sell their wares and glass walls allow visitors to see food being made and packed before they decide to purchase.

At the side of the food centre a naturally planted wildlife pool with colourful shrubs enhances the peaceful atmosphere here.

The new plant centre is housed in a new building built just as you would imagine a new upmarket barn would be built. Modern materials are used in a traditional building style. Beautiful local products such as metal sculpture are displayed inside alongside organic gardening fertilisers, bird feeding equipment, books and a rich mixture of gardening sundries. All very tempting! Out back can be found a plant nursery.