The Lost Buildings of Britain

by Simon Thurley

In LOST BUILDINGS OF BRITAIN leading historian Simon Thurley takes a journey into our nation's past and reveals the hidden narratives behind what we have lost from our historic landscape. Today they are ruins, destroyed by fire, neglect, war and even progress. But once they were places of great importance and beauty. Sifting through the remains, Thurley paints a fascinating portrait of how our ancestors once lived and worked. LOST BUILDINGS OF BRITAIN is accompanied by a six-part television series on Channel 4. The six buildings Glastonbury Abbey, the Palace of Whitehall, Nottingham Castle, Millbank Penitentiary, Fonthill Abbey and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2004

Reviews

[Suzanne Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and accessible account of a number of iconic buildings within England, some still standing and others long gone, inc Westminster Pslace, Fonthill - of William Beckford fame, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - where my great grandfather performed, Millbank Penitentiary and Glastonbury Abbey.
The book explores the building design and construction, use age and reasons for demise and in doing so tells a lot about our history of power, wealth, ambition (vaulting) and social division.. so no change really.
Only not a 5 because I’d have liked more buildings and more diversity- eg industrial heritage and buildings representative of ordinary folk!