4 Of The Best Gothic Revival Buildings In England
The Gothic Revival style of architecture emerged in England in the late 18th century. It was strongly influenced by the elaborate and lofty Gothic style that dominated the later Middle ages in Europe, particularly for cathedrals, churches, libraries, and colleges. The Gothic Revival or Neo-Gothic style was also applied to domestic buildings.
Strawberry Hill House
The most famous example from the late 18th century is Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, London. It was built by the writer and politician Horace Walpole between 1749 and 1776. The white stone exterior features decorative circular towers, turrets and battlements with arched windows and doors.
The interior is even more extravagantly decorated, with elaborate carved cornices and ceiling roses, ornate shelving and furniture, and painted ceilings. It’s a house that divides opinion, but there’s no denying the great skill and craftsmanship that has gone into creating and maintaining it over the years.
The Palace of Westminster
This world famous building is home to both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There have been royal residences on the site since 1097. After the original palace was destroyed by a fire in the 16th century, it became the seat of Parliament, only to be partially destroyed by fire again in 1834.
The building was reconstructed in the Gothic Revival style that still stands today. The Neo gothic design is attributed to Charles Barry, but he was assisted in his work by Augustus Welby Pugin, and some believe that the latter should have been given the greater credit as the architect despite being only 23 at the time.
John Rylands Library
The John Rylands Library and research institute on Deansgate in Manchester is regarded as one of the finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in Europe. It opened in 1900 after being commissioned by Enriqueta Augustina Ryland in memory of her late husband, who was a successful businessman and philanthropist.
The library was designed by the architect Basil Champneys. The exterior is built from distinctive dark red Cumbrian sandstone, while light shank stone is used in the interior. The interior of the library is reminiscent of a cathedral with its high vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows.
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Britain, and the eighth largest church in the world. It was designed by the architect Giles Gilbert Scott. He was appointed after a competition was held and his design won the approval of the committee, who considered Gothic architecture to inspire greater devotion than any other.
Some members of the committee argued against it as they preferred the restrained Renaissance or Classical style of architecture. However, Scott’s design won the overall contest and construction began in 1904 using the distinctive local red sandstone.
The huge scale project was not fully completed until 1978, 18 years after Scott’s death. The belltower is one of the largest and tallest in the world, and is the fourth tallest structure in Liverpool.
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