Struan Bates - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Talks by Struan Bates

Hamstead Marshall in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, burned do... more Hamstead Marshall in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, burned down in 1718, leaving little trace apart from an almost complete set of gateposts. A Kip and Knyff engraving is the only surviving exterior picture of the house, and a set of drawings in the Bodleian library has hitherto only provided limited insight into the intentions of Hamstead Marshall’s designers, the Dutch courtier/architect Balthazar Gerbier and the Anglo-Dutch soldier-architect William Winde.

This talk presents new evidence about the purpose, processes and individuals involved in Hamstead Marshall’s building, and possible difficulties encountered. These are discussed in the context of Gerbier’s contemporaneous building treatises, before a revised interpretation of Gerbier’s approach to classicism is offered.

Papers by Struan Bates

Journal of Historic Buildings & Places, 2024

Hamstead Marshall house in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, bur... more Hamstead Marshall house in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, burned down in 1718, leaving little trace apart from multiple sets of gateposts. The lack of physical remains and little documentary evidence has hindered architectural historians seeking to learn more about the house.

The career of Hamstead Marshall’s designer, the Dutch-born courtier Balthazar Gerbier, has also frequently been dismissed, largely on the basis that the building treatises he authored do not define a coherent architectural proposition.

This paper addresses gaps in our knowledge about Hamstead Marshall, and reappraises Gerbier’s career. It presents new evidence about the purpose, processes and individuals involved in Hamstead Marshall’s construction, and uncovers difficulties encountered. The house is then discussed in a revised interpretation of Gerbier’s approach to classicism, with his intentions considered as central to the development of a proto-Baroque strand of architecture, rooted in Gerbier’s relationship with Peter Paul Rubens, that was bypassed by Jonesian classicism.

The Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx (founded 1132) and Premonstratensian foundation of Easby (1152)... more The Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx (founded 1132) and Premonstratensian
foundation of Easby (1152) lie thirty miles apart on an upland tract of North Yorkshire. The Orders closely shared constitutions and spiritual ideas, and these similarities are reflected in Easby’s main abbey complex, which appears to follow developmental phases common to the Cistercian claustral plan, but with notable divergences. This paper explores the extent to which these differences can be explained by the Premonstratensian spiritual mission, and the degree to which Easby’s development was influenced by other factors.

Survey of the architecture of Swithland, a small village in the Charnwood Forest near Leicester. ... more Survey of the architecture of Swithland, a small village in the Charnwood Forest near Leicester. This paper explores how land ownership and industrial processes guided the use of local building materials in shaping Swithland's vernacular appeal.

Richard Morris asks whether parochial preferences in church-building followed in the wake of tech... more Richard Morris asks whether parochial preferences in church-building followed in the wake of technical innovation, or vice versa; the church of St. Lawrence the Martyr, Abbots Langley (C12-15) offers support for both sides of this argument, but this paper contends that the most significant factor that influenced its architectural development were changes in liturgical arrangements.

The history of Hubert Le Sueur's equestrian statue of Charles I (1633) in Trafalgar Square, Londo... more The history of Hubert Le Sueur's equestrian statue of Charles I (1633) in Trafalgar Square, London. This article was originally written for englishcivilwar.org and subsequently republished at the request of the Anthony Powell Society in their newsletter (Issue 59).

Hamstead Marshall in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, burned do... more Hamstead Marshall in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, burned down in 1718, leaving little trace apart from an almost complete set of gateposts. A Kip and Knyff engraving is the only surviving exterior picture of the house, and a set of drawings in the Bodleian library has hitherto only provided limited insight into the intentions of Hamstead Marshall’s designers, the Dutch courtier/architect Balthazar Gerbier and the Anglo-Dutch soldier-architect William Winde.

This talk presents new evidence about the purpose, processes and individuals involved in Hamstead Marshall’s building, and possible difficulties encountered. These are discussed in the context of Gerbier’s contemporaneous building treatises, before a revised interpretation of Gerbier’s approach to classicism is offered.

Journal of Historic Buildings & Places, 2024

Hamstead Marshall house in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, bur... more Hamstead Marshall house in Berkshire, one of the seats of William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, burned down in 1718, leaving little trace apart from multiple sets of gateposts. The lack of physical remains and little documentary evidence has hindered architectural historians seeking to learn more about the house.

The career of Hamstead Marshall’s designer, the Dutch-born courtier Balthazar Gerbier, has also frequently been dismissed, largely on the basis that the building treatises he authored do not define a coherent architectural proposition.

This paper addresses gaps in our knowledge about Hamstead Marshall, and reappraises Gerbier’s career. It presents new evidence about the purpose, processes and individuals involved in Hamstead Marshall’s construction, and uncovers difficulties encountered. The house is then discussed in a revised interpretation of Gerbier’s approach to classicism, with his intentions considered as central to the development of a proto-Baroque strand of architecture, rooted in Gerbier’s relationship with Peter Paul Rubens, that was bypassed by Jonesian classicism.

The Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx (founded 1132) and Premonstratensian foundation of Easby (1152)... more The Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx (founded 1132) and Premonstratensian
foundation of Easby (1152) lie thirty miles apart on an upland tract of North Yorkshire. The Orders closely shared constitutions and spiritual ideas, and these similarities are reflected in Easby’s main abbey complex, which appears to follow developmental phases common to the Cistercian claustral plan, but with notable divergences. This paper explores the extent to which these differences can be explained by the Premonstratensian spiritual mission, and the degree to which Easby’s development was influenced by other factors.

Survey of the architecture of Swithland, a small village in the Charnwood Forest near Leicester. ... more Survey of the architecture of Swithland, a small village in the Charnwood Forest near Leicester. This paper explores how land ownership and industrial processes guided the use of local building materials in shaping Swithland's vernacular appeal.

Richard Morris asks whether parochial preferences in church-building followed in the wake of tech... more Richard Morris asks whether parochial preferences in church-building followed in the wake of technical innovation, or vice versa; the church of St. Lawrence the Martyr, Abbots Langley (C12-15) offers support for both sides of this argument, but this paper contends that the most significant factor that influenced its architectural development were changes in liturgical arrangements.

The history of Hubert Le Sueur's equestrian statue of Charles I (1633) in Trafalgar Square, Londo... more The history of Hubert Le Sueur's equestrian statue of Charles I (1633) in Trafalgar Square, London. This article was originally written for englishcivilwar.org and subsequently republished at the request of the Anthony Powell Society in their newsletter (Issue 59).