A house is not just a home: means of display in English medieval gentry buildings (original) (raw)

Abstract

Houses in the Middle Ages were not just a home; they were the means through which wealth and status were displayed. The crown, aristocracy and gentry used their houses as a way of consolidating their dominance and conveying their position on local society and the landscape. They were able to use their investment in property as a way of expressing the size of their estate, while enabling them to undertake their social obligations. The means in which this was achieved varied considerably, and changed with fashion and advancing technology. It has long been assumed, however, that many elements used in display, such as the introduction of courtyards, symmetry and the use of large expanses of windows were only introduced into English buildings after the Renaissance. This is of course, not true of all buildings as cathedrals, churches and particularly castles have long been recognised as having a design principal. Buildings of lesser status, particularly those of gentry status, have however, received much less scholarly attention. This paper hopes to take the first steps in rectifying that situation. It will examine a number of standing and excavated examples dating to the fourteenth and fifteenth century and investigate various design principles that were used. One such example is the hall-house at Ockwells, Berkshire. The front wall has a large expanse of windows which has some of the finest stained glass windows surviving from a private dwelling house. The glass, which would have still been a luxury in the early fifteenth century, was used to advertise the arms of no fewer than twelve of the owner’s patrons and friends, while each light was also used to advertise the support of the Lancastrian cause. This building was clearly built to impress and for the owner to ostentatiously display his courtly connections. The multi-discipline approach will enable the examination of the façade and plan of the properties while also investigating the approach and setting and associated landscape features. It will demonstrate that many of the design features linked with the Renaissance already existed in England prior to the fifteenth century, and that this can be seen in buildings of gentry status.

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