Thursday, 25 March 2010
A talk given by Andy Lowe at Cartmel Village Hall on the 18th March, entitled ‘Lakeland Architecture’.
Andy started his talk by informing us that he would take us on a ‘romp’ which would cover the history of 500 years of Lakeland architecture in just one hour, and then proceeded to keep his audience spellbound while he delivered on his promise.
Andy stressed how all buildings (no matter when they were built) have been adapted to meet their owners’/residents’ requirements over the years. Extensions, fancy fretwork, the addition of different styles and new windows are really nothing new, and have helped to ensure the viability of buildings which would, otherwise, have fallen out of use as fashions changed and more efficient building material became available.
It was also interesting to note how the emulation of the wealthier residents’ penchant for new architectural styles, adornment, etc., have, since at least medieval times, filtered down to the more humble dwellings as less wealthy owners and residents attempted to copy the latest style in architectural fashion – nothing really changes!
The talk was supported with a wealth of images which underpinned the sheer breadth of Andy’s vast knowledge of his topic.