Tin tabernacle: The Chapel at Walcot Hall in Shropshire A fine example of the non-conformist, colonial-style, tin-clad chapels that proliferated in the 19th century, this little beauty is hidden in woodland in Shropshire’s 30-acre Walcot Aboretum. The chapel sleeps four in two woody bedrooms (from £575 a week) and features stained-glass […]
Goodbye boarding house, hello boutique hotel. Margate’s new generation of places to stay is all about cool Independents – guest houses, pubs with rooms and some quirky one offs. Our top ten includes more than one townhouse, a rock-and-roll guest house, an art deco B&B, a jazzed-up vintage caravan and a prison cell.
As Sam Mendes’ new film Empire of Light turns the spotlight on Margate, we take a look at the Isle of Thanet town’s architectural landscape – highlights include a chalk cave, a mysterious shell grotto, a derelict lido, a 1960s Brutalist tower block, a vintage roller coaster and the Grade II* listed Dreamland cinema (the fictional Empire of Light in the aforementioned film).
Look beyond the deckchairs and the donkey rides and the cliched seaside bling and this colourful Dorset town is a treat for architecture buffs. One of Britain’s oldest resorts, its best bits are mainly Georgian (a gilded statue of George III reigns over the seafront’s Regency terraces) but the town’s […]
The UK’s City of Culture 2021 is generally associated with new-town concrete, but this model of post-war renewal, claims numerous medieval survivors – the city is perhaps defined by its glorious Cathedral (a conciliation of ancient and modern). And the devil is in the detail. Our highlights feature medieval gatehouses, abstract tiles, Aztec friezes and an animated Lady Godiva.
Devastated by the Blitz and rebuilt after WW2, Plymouth boasts the UK’s largest number of post-war listed buildings outside of London. Good enough reason to pay a visit? Indeed, but what makes Devon’s Ocean City so very interesting is the mix of old and new. Starting in the 16th century, our trail features a 1930s Lido, a lighthouse, a museum with a box on top and a bit of Neo Egyptian.
Part Two of our Covid-friendly, walking tour of Bristol’s architectural highlights include Europe’s longest terrace (we think), a Victorian engine house, a Greek Revival chapel with a shiny new extension, a giant’s cave (actually two giants) and the city’s oldest building. For more on Bristol landmarks, see Part One.
Love architecture or just looking at buildings? Here are some of Bristol’s highlights – a walking tour of the city’s varied architectural landscape combining history with fresh air and social distancing. The list is deliberately random, occasionally obscure and ranging from medieval to modernist and multi-storey carpark.