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Matthew H. Johnson

October 31, 2020

by Hertes of England

Matthew H. Johnson

Seeing vernacular architecture in terms of people making their own history can be difficult for…

About

Welcome to the Hertes of England historic building resource. We specialise in exploring the traditional buildings and vernacular architecture of the English Midlands. From timber-frame cottages to Victorian town houses and factories, we investigate a range of historic buildings and the skills, techniques and crafts that were used to create them.

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Anglo Saxon Architecture Birmingham Black Country Derbyshire East Midlands English Midlands Georgian Gothic Henry Issac Stevens History Industrial Revolution Joseph Pickford Kingdom of Mercia Knowledge Leicestershire Lincolnshire Lunar Society Medieval Midlands Nottinghamshire R. W. Brunskill Romantic Staffordshire Vernacular Victorian Warwickshire World Heritage Site

Journal

  • John Speed "Therein groweth a stone softer than Alablaster, but being burnt maketh a Plaister harder than..."

    John Speed
  • Sidney R. Jones "One only has to travel over the mountains and moors of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire..."

    Sidney R. Jones
  • Carole Ryan "Vernacular building tradition is one based upon time-immeriorial building techniques and the use of materials,..."

    Carole Ryan

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Despite the mixed weather, last weekend’s archit Despite the mixed weather, last weekend’s architectural tour of Ashbourne once again provided the opportunity to talk about some extremely interesting and significant historic buildings. Perhaps the most interesting of which was Dr. John Taylor’s former residence (The Mansion) at the west end of Church Street. Dr. Taylor was a childhood friend of the great Samuel Johnson, a friendship that lasted right up until Dr. Johnson’s death in 1784. Johnson visited Dr. Taylor at this residence almost every year from the mid 18th century onwards, and much of what we know about Dr. Taylor and the changes he made to this grand town house can be attributed to Dr. Johnson’s own diaries and James Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson. The house was originally a late 17th Century town house set on a H plan with street facing gables. After being slightly put out by an aspirational neighbour, Dr. Taylor was thought to have commissioned Joseph Pickford to build a Palladian inspired brick facade to the original house. The projecting central bay was designed to be the focus of attention with a large open pediment incorporating gauged brick voussoirs (identical in design to Pickford’s own house on Friar Gate in Derby), as well as Venetian and Diocletian windows and a Tuscan porch. Pickford was also thought to have designed and built the famous octagonal ‘Music Room’ leading out to the large garden at the rear, which was famously where Dr. Johnson ‘held court’ when he visited the town! Unfortunately, the passing years have not been kind to the structure and the original lustre of the brickwork has been lost. However, The Mansion still stands as a significant example of an extremely grand town house from a truly unique period in English history. For when Dr. Johnson and James Boswell arrived in the town it must have felt like one of the most important places in all of England! It is currently designated as Grade I. #heritage #conservation #historicbuildings #architecture #georgian #palladian #ashbourne #derbyshire #derby #thefabricofplaces
When thinking about the historic built environment When thinking about the historic built environment, we are often reminded, invariably by Pevsner, of Alexander Pope’s own rendering of the genius loci, which often seems most apposite when travelling through Derbyshire! Consult the genius of the place in all; That tells the waters or to rise, or fall… Gregory Tunnel, Cromford Canal, Lea Shaw (World Heritage Site) #heritage #conservation #architecture #industrialheritage #cromford #canals #derbyshire #worldheritagesite #thefabricofplaces
Netherton Hall in Bradbourne, Derbyshire. A relati Netherton Hall in Bradbourne, Derbyshire. A relatively unusual late 17th Century, three storey farmhouse built of limestone rubble with gritstone dressings, lintels and quoins. #heritage #conservation #historicbuildings #architecture #derbyshire #limestone #gritstone #thefabricofplaces
Over the last year or so we have visited this sett Over the last year or so we have visited this setting on a number of occasions in an attempt to document this fine example of early 18th century ironwork. It is situated in a reasonably dense, tree lined avenue between St. Saviour’s Church and Foremarke Hall (now Repton Prep School) in south Derbyshire, Along with the accompanying communion rails inside the church, this particular set of gates and screen (circa 1710) have long been attributed to Robert Bakewell of Derby, perhaps the finest English-born iron smith of the 18th Century. In the early years of the 18th century Bakewell had been commissioned to design and wrought a large arbour (more commonly known as the ‘Birdcage’) for the garden of the Rt Hon. Thomas Coke at Melbourne Hall. To complete the work he set up a forge in an ‘old smithy’ near Melbourne church (The Stone House), just a few miles from this location. The delicate nature of the ironwork, seen here in the three overthrows, appears very similar in style to that of the much celebrated arbour, marking a distinct period of extremely elegant work before Bakewell moved to Derby to set up the forge at Oakes’s Yard. While there can be little doubt as to the maker of these gates, they have unfortunately not fared as well as the arbour at Melbourne Hall. Their location (shaded and often damp) has undoubtedly contributed to the numerous instances of corrosion that now unfortunately ‘litter’ the work. Whilst it is certainly feasible to repair these instances of deterioration, the process will inevitably involve the loss of the original fabric. However, the need to conserve these rare surviving pieces of decorative ironwork is an important task, as to lose them would be to lose some of the most important wrought iron creations of that most extraordinary century! They are currently designated as Grade II*. #heritage #conservation #industrialheritage #ironwork #wroughtiron #foremark #derby #reptonschool #derbyshire #thefabricofplaces
Earlier this year Derby Museum and Art Gallery ope Earlier this year Derby Museum and Art Gallery opened its Museum of Making at the historic Silk Mill in Derby, which is one of the most important early industrial structures in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site. One of the most significant exhibits at the site is the exquisite wrought iron gates that were designed and crafted by Robert Bakewell of Derby for Sir Thomas Lombe, who took over the running of the mill from his half-brother John Lombe, following his death in 1722. The gates are thought to have been commissioned around this time by Sir Thomas (as the monograph bears his initials) and they were certainly in place by the time Charles Perry visited Derby and recalled them in his diary in 1725 (Edward Saunders). They are a very good example of what was then an emerging English style in decorative ironwork that had been developing in the early part of the century, and of which Bakewell was perhaps the leading proponent. However, there are also elements of the more dominant French style, most notably in the ‘upward sweep’ at the base of the overthrow, which was considered a typical element in the work of French iron smiths, such as Jean Tijou. Like many of Bakewell’s creations, the gates have moved around a bit in the 300 years since they were wrought! They have also been restored on a number of occasions (most notably in the early 20th Century by Taylor Whiting Taylor, who discovered Bakewell’s unique ‘RB’ maker’s mark on one of the rails). Unfortunately, the stone piers have fared less well from their many relocations, however, both the piers and gates are now located in the position in which they started their life and hopefully will remain there for many years to come. It is surely fitting that craftsmanship of such significance still resides in the city where it was born and that Robert Bakewell’s genius is still celebrated many centuries after they were made. They are currently designated as Grade I. #heritage #conservation #industrialheritage #ironwork #wroughtiron #museumofmaking #derby #worldheritagesite #derwentvalleymills #derbyshire #thefabricofplaces
The intricate and delicate creations of 18th centu The intricate and delicate creations of 18th century wrought iron smiths never cease to amaze and delight us! This finial demonstrates that both the design and unique craft skills required (composition, scale, proportion, vision and technique) were not an abundant resource and that only the finest craftsman and artisans of the period were capable of such significant work! This particular finial belongs to the avenue gates (circa 1710) leading to St. Saviour’s Church at Foremark, near Repton in south Derbyshire, which have long been attributed to Robert Bakewell of Derby. When viewed in the context of other know work by this great artist, there can be little doubt as to the identity of their maker! #heritage #conservation #historicbuildings #wroughtiron #ironwork #foremark #derbyshire #thefabricofplaces
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