Early brick building

[biffvernon]

Can folk give examples of major brick buildings dating from 15th century or earlier, please?

 

[Flyfisher]

"Brick Gothic" thoughout Europe? : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Brick_Gothic_buildings

Moot Hall : http://maldonmoothall.org.uk/history.html

 

[middi]

Pass, can you pick an easier subject next time please.

 

[Gervase]

The mastabas and ziggurats of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia - in fact most vernacular building in the ancient near east. Most Roman vernacular building all over the temperate zones of the empire. The buildings of Byzantium...

 

[biffvernon]

Ah yes, but actually I was looking for English medieval!
Tattershall, Caister, Herstmonceux...

 

[piper]

The old courts, river facade and gatehouse of Queens' College, Cambridge, are mostly brick IIRC and fifteenth century.

http://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/default.asp?MIS=239

 

[Penners]

How about Hampton Court?

http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/HamptonCourtsorigin.aspx

Do tell us what this project is all about!

 

[Penners]

http://crcv.revues.org/index125.html#tocto2n1

Scroll down the page to the heading "15th Century Brick Buildings".

 

[caliwag]

Clifton Taylor in Pevsner's York and the East Riding says...

"The Hull-Beverley neighbourhood was the first part of England in which brickmaking was established as a local industry: bricks were made here as early as the first half of the 14th century.
The excellent clays of the district were ideal for the purpose, and Holy Trinity, Hull, can still show, notably at the East end, on the N side of the chancel, and on the N face of the transept, small red and blue bricks dating in from 1315-1345".
He goes on about Beverley Minster's nave vault and the clerestory of the small church at Roos...and of course Thorton Abbey gatehouse 1382.

 

[andrew gayton]

Can folk give examples of major brick buildings dating from 15th century or earlier, please?

oxborough hall, nr swaffham norfolk.

 

[biffvernon]

Thanks all. Most of Hampton Court is a bit newer.
Just an article I'm writing for Cornerstones regional section about last Saturday's SPAB trip to Tattershall Castle.

 

[DaveBrigg]

Thornton Abbey was my first thought. The gatehouse has undergone a major restoration project recently. I've no doubt that Biff has been there; it is only a couple of miles from the Singleton Birch lime quarry.

 

[irina]

Probably doesn't qualify as a "major" building, but there is a church built of herringbone brick infill in timberframe, in Mattingley out in the sticks south of Reading (so actually in Hants methinks), with Flemish imported brick of 15thC. Two of the church bells date from c. 1450, so it's more than likely the actual building is as old if not a little earlier. What's odd is that the proximity to Reading, which has a suburb Tilehurst (= Tigelhorst in 12thC document, meaning tile-making place) doesn't lead to more brick building in the area. But most medieval manufacture of "bricks" were actually tiles for flooring or roofing. Hull seems to have been the first place in England to re-discover brick making as material for walls, with a brickyard mentioned 1303. Plus Holy Trinity church in Hull of early 14thC uses bricks in transepts and choir.

Lots of fascinating info on early brick structures in an article on Roman construction industry with coverage of medieval decline and rediscovery
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~corp0057/10%201%20.%20A.%20Wilson.pdf

 

[Penners]

Most of Hampton Court is a bit newer.

Indeed so, but...

By the 14th century, the Hampton estates of the Knights Hospitallers sat rather conveniently between royal palaces at Sheen and Byfleet. The grange was a perfect staging post for royal visitors. And new building works at Hampton Court reflected its new use as a high-status guest house.

Byfleet was dismantled in the early 1400s, and the importance of Hampton Court declined at the same time.

The Knights Hospitallers already rented out a lot of their other estates and it seems that Hampton Court first became a tenanted property at about this time. The first tenant we know much about was the courtier Giles Daubeney, who took out a lease on the property in 1494.

It would be interesting to know how much of the "new building works" were in brick, and still exist.

 

[caliwag]

Clifton-Taylor again... :shock:

Tower of London...1278 Flemish bricks
Beverley North Bar...1409 local bricks

The Pattrn of English Building...Alec Clifton-Taylor Faber paperback 1972
excellent book if you like a detailed history of materials.
Hope that's not too late for your piece! :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

Another excellent book on brickwork:

http://www.buildingconservation.com/books/a24.htm

Also:

http://www.buildingconservation.com/books/a25.htm