There is something immediately recognizable about an old English village, where a narrow lane winds between stone cottages, chimney pots rise above uneven roofs, hedges spill across garden walls, and somewhere beyond the houses the tower of a medieval church appears through the trees, giving the whole settlement a center without dominating everything around it.
These are legacy places. Generations keeping houses and land in the family not selling off. And for the ones who emigrated they often sent wages home to keep the homestead. Ancient piety v
I love that about living in Europe. No matter which country you go you can see old villages where people have lived for hundreds of years. Generation after generation. England is a great example of that.
I love about this is that the character wasn’t really designed at all. It accumulated. Local stone, timber, clay and the hands of different craftspeople, sometimes generations apart, somehow produced something coherent without anyone holding the master plan. There’s a lovely lesson in that … places, carry the evidence of the people who made and used them.
As a non-architect can someone with training in the subject enlighten me as to how much the principles embedded in the village translate to modern construction and design? with regard to England, modern estates seems to be soulless and penny-pinching.
A wonderful article. There is something mystical / transcendental about English villages. A far cry from the mechanistic pre-planned “architecture” of the modern period that renders us cogs in a machine. Keep up the great work .
Zero mention of the ownership of property. Without the entire system of property ownership (down to the small scale) the entire system of building cool looking towns could not come into existence.
I've been to all these villages and they fill my heart and mind with feelings and thoughts of the many English books I've read! Such beautiful architecture that fits so well with the landscapes. I feel blessed to have seen these amazing places! Donna in California
These are legacy places. Generations keeping houses and land in the family not selling off. And for the ones who emigrated they often sent wages home to keep the homestead. Ancient piety v
I love that about living in Europe. No matter which country you go you can see old villages where people have lived for hundreds of years. Generation after generation. England is a great example of that.
I love about this is that the character wasn’t really designed at all. It accumulated. Local stone, timber, clay and the hands of different craftspeople, sometimes generations apart, somehow produced something coherent without anyone holding the master plan. There’s a lovely lesson in that … places, carry the evidence of the people who made and used them.
As a non-architect can someone with training in the subject enlighten me as to how much the principles embedded in the village translate to modern construction and design? with regard to England, modern estates seems to be soulless and penny-pinching.
A wonderful article. There is something mystical / transcendental about English villages. A far cry from the mechanistic pre-planned “architecture” of the modern period that renders us cogs in a machine. Keep up the great work .
Zero mention of the ownership of property. Without the entire system of property ownership (down to the small scale) the entire system of building cool looking towns could not come into existence.
Villages aside, how did we create such amusing cities? https://meettheuk.substack.com/p/a-one-sentence-guide-to-every-city
I've been to all these villages and they fill my heart and mind with feelings and thoughts of the many English books I've read! Such beautiful architecture that fits so well with the landscapes. I feel blessed to have seen these amazing places! Donna in California