Recently whilst searching online for an image to illustrate an article I had written for a magazine I came upon the work of David Bridgwater and his meticulous work on historic buildings at his blog Bath, Art and Architecture
This appears to have begun with studies of the architecture of the city of Bath, but on occasion extends to cover other cities and buildings. I sensed a kindred spirit in his concern to record not only what survives, but also what has been lost, and his sense of place and belonging.
Three examples of his work can be seen. Firstly there is his account of the Oxford Arms in the west side of Warwick Lane. Farringdon Within. I had seen photographs of this galleried inn before, but it was good to have more information about the buildings and their history. It is tragic to think that such a remarkable, albeit very decayed, building survived until 1876 - into the childhood of my grandparents - and that no-one saved it. Indeed it is remarkable how many buildings of this era, pre-dating the Great Fire, survived into the late nineteenth century only to be destroyed at the time when there were moves to not just record but to preserve such buildings.
The Oxford Arms
Demolished 1876
Image: Bath, Art and Architecture
The article can be seen at Oxford Arms, Warwick Lane, Faringdon Within, City of London
The second study concentrates on a fine plaster ceiling rescued in 1961 from the former Feathers Inn in Nottingham city centre. This was a time when city and town centres were being bulldozed with little or no concern for the losses to the local and national heritage. I do not recall seeing the building on my visits as a child to Nottingham in those years, but I may have. I have checked with David and the ceiling is still in store awaiting a new home.
The article can be seen at Introduction the Wheelergate Nottingham Ceiling.
The third article looks at Cumberland shipbuilding in the eighteenth century and at a series of carved wooden portrait busts.
The article can be accessed at Five Carved Wooden Busts with Cumberland Shipbuilding Connections, Part 1.
This is definitely a blog to keep an eye on and I have added it to the side bar.
David happily agreed m to my original request and to allow reproduction of his photograph, but more of that in another post.
Even if the Oxford Arms hadn't been demolished in 1876, sadly it probably wouldn't have survived the WW2 Blitz.
ReplyDeleteCultural vandalism still goes on though. In the wall bounding the pavement of a road bridge over a railway line in Farringdon thirty years or so ago I remember seeing at waist level a brick with the word "Thief" clearly visible. However, for some arcane railway-related reason the bridge had been built six inches or so too low. So the whole thing had to be knocked down and rebuilt, and in the replacement wall the "Thief" brick had gone, probably carelessly thrown away in the rubble of the previous wall.
I'm not sure what the brick was used for originally. Maybe petty thieves were put in the stocks near a wall containing the brick, and bricks from that wall were reused for the original wall along the bridge pavement.
Cheers
John Ramsden (jrq@gmx.com)
A good point but Staple Inn which is quite close has happily survived
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