Architecture in Britain and Ireland, 1530 - 1830

Architecture in Britain and Ireland, 1530 –1830, Steven Brindle, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, 2023, 544 pages, 448 colour and black and- white illustrations, hardback.

It is just over 70 years since the first edition of John Summerson’s Architecture in Britain, 1530– 1830 was published in 1953. It was immediately established as the standard account of the development of classical architecture in Britain and the principal architects who were involved. Its focus was the architecture of the elite and, despite its title, Ireland was mentioned only in passing and Scotland was confined to a short appendix. Since that date the study of architectural history has evolved from its art-historical roots to become a broad discipline that embraces social, economic and technological history in order to understand its cultural importance and its value to contemporary society.

A revision of Summerson’s approach has been long overdue and Steven Brindle’s book offers an alternative study which is far more comprehensive in the range of building types and patronage that it covers. There are separate chapters in each section that pay due regard to the distinctive architectural identity of Scotland and Ireland.

Brindle divides the period into three parts, preceded by a prologue that summarises the impact of the Reformation, which he describes as a ‘colossal self-inflicted cultural catastrophe’ as far as architecture and the visual arts were concerned.

Part I, under the title of Destruction and Creation, covers the period from 1530 to 1660, with chapters on ecclesiastical and vernacular buildings as well as the country houses that were the focus for Summerson. The leading role played by skilled craftsmen and their building materials are emphasised throughout. Part I concludes with an overview of the impact of the Italian renaissance, which fundamentally changed the way in which buildings were designed and made. The rise of architectural design as an intellectual discipline and the decline of vernacular traditions was, as Brindle emphasises, ‘arguably the most important theme in the history of European architecture in these centuries.’

Part II, from 1660 to 1760, explores the emerging urban landscape before considering the momentous impact of the development of classical architecture and the architectural profession in the early Georgian period, although a growing antiquarian interest ensured a continued presence of gothic themes.

Part III, from 1760 to 1830, takes up more than half the text and is aptly entitled Wealth, Progress and Complexity. It ranges over an extraordinary number of social, economic and cultural topics which helped to shape the architectural appearance of all three nations. The scene is set by a chapter that assesses the impact of the transport revolution through the development of turnpike roads and the canal network, which stimulated a growing focus of commercial and domestic life on towns and cities. The architectural consequence of this urban expansion was marked by terraced housing and new civic buildings.

It is followed by chapters which explore the evolution of neoclassicism from its Palladian roots and the influence of fashion and consumerism on interior design. The careers and stylistic preferences of all the most influential architects are discussed at length and the various phases from the Adam family to Soane and Cockerell are placed in chronological order. The country house takes centre stage, and the transformation of their landscaped settings is seen in economic and social terms as well as in aesthetic values. The emergence of the picturesque is placed within a context of a renewed interest in gothic and Tudor styles. It was a period when Britain grew as a major global power and military buildings and the royal dockyards are given a separate chapter to themselves. The growing impact of the industrial revolution provides a fitting conclusion to the end of the Georgian period and all that its rich culture achieved.

Brindle has captured the spirit of that age on an epic scale. The reader is left full of admiration for the sheer breadth of his scholarship and its relevance for all of us who seek to understand and protect the material evidence that is all around us. This is a major study which brings together the whole of the built environment at a crucial stage in its development and it provides a context that places it within a broad European perspective. It is complemented by an extensive bibliography and enriched on almost every page by a wealth of beautifully reproduced illustrations, which include many original documents as well as modern photographs. It is worth the price for these alone. The outstanding design and production values are a worthy tribute to the contribution that the Paul Mellon Centre has made to the literature of British art since its foundation in 1970.

There is no doubt that this important book will shape the approach to the architectural culture of the Georgian period profoundly and is a worthy successor to Summerson. It is also a celebration of the outstanding quality of the scholarship nurtured by English Heritage, where Steven Brindle is senior properties historian. It will appeal to the general reader as well as the specialist historian.

This article originally appeared as ‘Required reading’ in the Institute of Historic Building Conservation’s (IHBC’s) Context 179, published in March 2024. It was written by Malcolm Airs, past president of the IHBC and the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain.

--Institute of Historic Building Conservation