2008. St Alphage’s Tower, Cripplegate: monument to tenacity. London Archaeologist Autumn 2008 12 (2), 35-39. (original) (raw)
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London Archaeologist, 1995
London church to have attracted archaeological interest. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to two pioneering rescue archaeological projects which produced examples of worked stone drawings, crypt recording and photography over 50 years before the St Bride's work began. The sites in question, St Dionis Backchurch and St Michael Bassishaw (Fig. I), were investigated during demolition in 1878 and 1900 respectively, and the work carried out there helped lay the foundations for the future development of church archaeology in the City.
Essay Heritage and Authenticity The Tower of London Gothic Rev
During the 19th century, the Tower of London was turned into a public museum that came to represent a new sense of national identity. I would like to show how this is due to the Tower's changing relationship with London during the 19th century, the growth of tourism, rail and steamship travel, and emergence of a new politics. We will consider how the architecture of the Tower, its restoration and the Gothic Revival were related. We will discuss how the Yeoman Warders embodied this change and how the Royal armoury was reordered. Together, these elements illustrate debates about heritage and authenticity, we can see how the Tower of London though altered and changed during the 19th century still holds authenticity due to its long history held in its stones and as the origin locale for many stories important to English and British history. To quote Walter Benjamin: " The authenticity of a thing is the essence of all that is transmissible from its beginning, ranging from its substantive duration to its testimony to the history which it has experienced. " 2
Unpublished MA Dissertation, The University of York, 2019
Post-Medieval phases of Medieval parish churches are little studied due to a lack of extant physical evidence caused by widespread Victorian restoration. This research uses Stonegrave Minster as a case study in the reconstruction of lost Post-Medieval phases, demonstrating that such phases should be studied as part of the story of alteration and adaptation of parish churches. Using a multi-disciplinary buildings archaeology approach including archival research, stratigraphic and physical analysis, measured building survey, phased plans and sightline analysis, this research explores what the physical and documentary evidence can reveal about the form, fabric, use and experience of the Post-Medieval church.
The Catastrophic Repairs of Holyrood Abbey Church in 1760
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2016
The collapse of the significant church of Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh in December 1768 is discussed as the result of the ill-conceived repair of the roof in 1760, i.e. the substitution of the timber trusses with closely-spaced diaphragm masonry walls that aggravated the delicate equilibrium of the vaults and the poor state of a building being mutilated over 250 years. This study interprets these repairs by demonstrating the authorship and partnership of the architect John Douglas with the masondeveloper James McPherson, who combined architectural ambition (the aesthetics of a flagstone roof) with the (cheaper) option of diaphragms, which would not involve a wright. The detailed examination of the procurement, the process of the intervention, the collapse and the limited impact of its aftermath, are framed in a wider technical and historical context in Edinburgh and Scotland, during a period marked by several failures of medieval churches, and reveals a poor understanding of a critical element in Gothic construction. Analysis of all public archive material available sheds light on key events of the case, and critical study of the work of the two partners' attempts to identify the intentions of their project, whose limitations were inevitable once the partnership was formed.
CONTESTED HERITAGE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION OF DERRY/LONDONDERRY'S SIEGE MONUMENT
Transformations of Derry/Londonderry's medieval city walls during the twentieth century have shaped an urbanism of segregated settlements within a city of religious confrontation. The heritage of military blockades, peace lines and watchtowers imposed upon the city's Walls has influenced the disintegration of public space and created areas of no man's land around the peripheries of the monument. The aim of this paper is to examine physical transformation and trace the consequences of urban planning regarding the historic city Walls. This change includes the shifting of residential settlements in the Bogside/Fountain areas and the movement of Protestant settlements towards the Waterside of Derry/Londonderry. The history and heritage of the Walls are analysed by focusing on four periods: 1600, when the first medieval walls were constructed; the housing crisis of 1948; the 1968 urban area plan and the beginning of the 'Troubles'; and the present day. This analysis offers an understanding of the spatial relationships between enclaves and the monument over key moments of conflict and political change. The paper reveals that the manifestations of the Walls have aided in the further division of religiously segregated communities in Derry/Londonderry.
PARIS London: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Site Preservation
Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, 2012
This paper outlines the history of preservation in situ as practised in London over the last hundred and fi fty years. It touches upon the early development of the City of London and the destruction of signifi cant remains, which gradually lead to a heightening of sensitivities and public concern for preservation, particularly of built fabric such as the Roman defences. The role of cases such as the Walbrook Mithraeum and Rose Theatre are discussed, both infl uential in changing the relationship between development and archaeology. The paper concludes by noting how much we have learnt from past mistakes, but notes that more can be done to make these sites more accessible.