| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| When: | Monthly on Tuesday mornings 10:30 am-12:00 pm 4th Tuesday |
| Venue: | Members' Homes and Out'n'About |
The Buildings Appreciation group “does what it says on the tin”! We meet every month (except August) to discuss architectural styles through the ages, so that we can better appreciate the built environment around us, wherever we may be.
We tend to concentrate on buildings in Great Britain since these provide us with actual examples, but those abroad are often useful examples of architecture which have inspired architecture in this country. This was particularly evident during study of the Renaissance.
We are moving from specific aspects (doors, windows, fireplaces, etc.) to complete buildings (palaces, manor houses, peasant houses, etc.).
Each month we meet in a member's house and one member gives a talk on their chosen area. In 2025, having completed Tudor and Renaissance, we will be concentrating on Jacobean.
Christmas 2024 we met and each member contributed an offering of Tudor food or drink they had made. It was a gourmet journey as well as great fun. We hope to repeat it for Christmas 2025 with Renaissance food.
We are learning by visiting examples of the period we are studying; in 2024 our visits included
The Great Barn
The Vyne
Braemore House
Living Museum, Gosport
and Wilton House
2019 saw us work our way through Norman cathedrals (or remains of, in some cases!). Several people chose ones they knew well, or even revisited. It was intriguing to find that some of the cathedrals seem to have very similar designs, despite the distances.
September, 2019
We had a tour of the architecture of Chichester Cathedral, conducted by our knowledgeable guide, Alan. Near the Lady Chapel, he pointed out four different styles of architecture in a relatively small space, proof of the adaptability of the masons. We ended with a short, but fascinating talk by the Clerk of Works, who spared us some time from his very busy schedule up on the roof, to tell us about the work being done up there (we could hear it!).
2018
As Andrew Negus’ talk at the General Meeting had been so interesting we asked him to conduct a tour for us around Salisbury.
July 2018
Eight people from the group visited this Saxon ‘church in the field’ at Idsworth, on 24th July.
