Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens

Storybook, timeless, pastoral, idyllic, unforgettable - these are just some of the words that come to mind when I remember my trip to the English Cotswolds as well as Sussex and Surry counties with architectural designer Frank Smith. I hope that you will join me in this photographic journey of this remarkable area of rural England to observe the beauty of its architecture, gardens, and landscapes. Frank and I delighted in finding an architectural treasure trove of ideas - some that we have incorporated in recent projects. Perhaps you will glean some ideas for your home or garden as well.

In this posting, I will focus on two homes designed by Edwin Lutyens that we were able to see on our tour. Little Thakaham, built in 1903, is located in Sussex County about a half-hour south of London. The Goddards, built in 1900, is located in Surry County, just south of London.

Where there is a will, there is a way! Frank Smith contemplates what to say to the Owner to allow us to take an unscheduled tour of Little Thakeam. He slowly approached the intercom, and persuaded the Owner to allow us inside. Our very friendly English host allowed us to take a complete tour of the home!

A close-up of the beautiful gate and post leading to Little Thakeam. Note the small "buttons" of stone embedded in the mortar. All stone for this project was quarried within a few hundred yards of the home.

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens (1869-1944) was arguably the greatest British architect of his age. He designed more than 300 public buildings, landmarks, and large country houses – many combined with  exquisite gardens planned with his long-time collaborator and friend, Gertrude Jekyll. Lutyens also designed the interiors and the furniture for most of his houses, from the doors and doorknobs to the chairs and chandeliers.

Lutyens' designs were rooted in the English Arts and Crafts movement, but they were inspired by Classicism. His designs remain popular today.

Little Thakeham, Sussex County, 1903. A great example of a romantic Lutyens design. Lutyens himself reckoned the house was the “best of the bunch”

A stone garden wall, a stone path, and a small gate in the distance draw our eye. Axial planning is a dominant design  feature at Little Thakeam.

The south elevation of the home. The wisteria vine is enormous, and it engulfs much of the structure. The blooming  wisteria in the spring creates a sea of lavender that is the artist's delight.

An examination of many of Lutyens Country House designs highlights the importance that Lutyens placed on the design of fireplaces and chimneys. Many of his well-known designs – Castle Drogo, Great Dixter, Little Thakeham and others – feature in excess of 10 fireplaces. The brick chimney design and detailing shown here is a classic Lutyens look.

A full view of the south elevation of the home showing the immense rose garden with stone trellis posts. Note the "Lutyens bench" on the right. 

Another Lutyens bench near the rose garden. These benches grace many of England's most famous gardens and reproductions are readily available today. 

The semicircular bay window with its abundant of light lies on the axis of the rose garden, beyond.

The living hall. At left is the jamb of the semicircular bay window, and the staircase lies ahead.  The  bay window lies on the main axis of the house upon which the symmetrical front entry lies, although the axis is made discontinuous by the wall on the right. Such discontinuities are found in many homes designed by Lutyens. 

A view of the fireplace with projecting sitting rack and overstructure in the living hall

A small window in the thick stone walls of the entrance corridor along with the decorative acorn squash and platter create a still life.

The fireplace in the library features a firebox in narrow terra cotta tiles laid in a herringbone pattern.

The floor of the entrance corridor is a lovely pattern of limestone and brick laid in a herringbone pattern.

Goddards was built in 1898-1900 by Lutyens and enlarged by him in 1910. Like many Lutyens homes, the gardens were planned by Gertrude Jekyll. We were unable to gain entry to the gardens and the home; however, we were able to get a few photographs of the exterior of this magnificent home.  

Frank Smith stands at an inviting entry to the grounds of the Goddards.

The front elevation of the home. The front entry is concealed by the hedgerow; it is directly below the small dormer located between the chimney and the left gable.

Exterior walls are made of roughcast, a course plaster surface consisting of lime and sometimes cement with sand, small gravel, and often pebbles or shells. For the roofing, note the combination of terra cotta tiles with slate.

The Lutyen-esque chimneys on this home vary in design, and all are magnificent. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this posting on our tour of Little Thakeham and Goddards. Please see my other postings on our tour of the English countryside.

Architecture of the Cotswolds: Gardens and Landscaping

Storybook, timeless, pastoral, idyllic, unforgettable - these are just some of the words that come to mind when I remember my trip to the English Cotswolds with architectural designer Frank Smith. I hope that you will join me in this photographic journey of this remarkable area of rural England to observe the beauty of its architecture, gardens, and landscapes. Frank and I delighted in finding an architectural treasure trove of ideas - some that we have incorporated in recent projects. Perhaps you will glean some ideas for your home or garden as well.

The Cotswolds  is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas in England and is known for its outstanding countryside with river valleys, gently rolling hills, and sleepy ancient limestone villages where time has stood still for over 300 years. It is a district approximately 15 miles wide and 90 miles long in the southwest region of England and about one hour west of London.

A distant view of a typical village in the Cotswolds

In this posting, I will focus on the gardens and landscaping of the Cotswolds. Please also see my other postings on cottages and manor homes. 

The Bourton House in Bourton-on-the-Hill
The incredibly beautiful gardens behind this lovely manor were so enticing to Frank Smith that he decided he must scale the wrought iron fence to get a closer look. I followed, and it wasn't long before we were caught red-handed! We were scolded in a firm but polite English manner by the Owners, but only after I manged to obtain some wonderful photographs of the gardens, below:

The knot garden has a striking boxwood border in the shape of a rope.

The topiary in the shape of a wall provides a lovely backdrop for the layered plantings in the foreground.

Another view of the Bourton House Gardens

A massive oak and a beautiful stone wall in the front of the Barnsley Hotel in Barnsley

A great many of the stone walls we saw in the Cotswolds are juxtaposed with hedgerows flush with the stone. This  photograph was taken in Lower Slaughter

A lovely stone wall, a wooden gate, and plantings at a cottage in Stanton

These mushroom-shaped stones, called "Staddle Stones" are prevalent garden ornaments in the Cotswolds. Unchanged for hundreds of years, they were originally used to raise tithe barns and granaries off the ground. This prevented vermin and moisture from reaching the produce.  This photograph was taken in front of a cottage in Shipton-under-Wychwood.

Beautiful water features and gardens in front of the Swan Hotel in Bibury

Frank Smith takes a look at the formal gardens at Sudley Castle in Winchcombe. The present structure was built in the fifteenth century. The chapel there is the burial place for Queen Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII.

I hope you enjoyed these photographs of the gardens and landscapes of the Cotswolds. Please see my other postings on the architecture of the Cotswolds. 

Architecture of the Cotswolds: Cottages

Storybook, timeless, pastoral, idyllic, unforgettable - these are just some of the words that come to mind when I remember my trip to the English Cotswolds with architectural designer Frank Smith. I hope that you will join me in this photographic journey of this remarkable area of rural England to observe the beauty of its architecture, gardens, and landscapes. Frank and I delighted in finding an architectural treasure trove of ideas - some that we have incorporated in recent projects. Perhaps you will glean some ideas for your home or garden as well.

The Cotswolds  is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas in England and is known for its outstanding countryside with river valleys, gently rolling hills, and sleepy ancient limestone villages where time has stood still for over 300 years. It is a district approximately 15 miles wide and 90 miles long in the southwest region of England and about one hour west of London.

A distant view of a typical village in the Cotswolds

In this posting, I will focus on the cottages of the Cotswolds. Other postings will follow on other subjects such as gardens and manor houses.

Our tour includes numerous villages in the Cotswolds and begins in Shipton-under-Wychwood:

Shipton-under-Wychwood.
This design with the cross gables and the bay window with a triple window directly above, is one that we incorporated in an English cottage in Myers Park.

Shipton-under-Wychwood
A lovely and ancient Episcopal church in the countryside. The front door must be tucked away where the walking path meets the structure on the right side. 

The understated architecture of the Cotswolds is characteristic of the cottages and other structures of the area. This English Tudor cottage design is romantically referred to as "Storybook Style". Steeply pitched roofs with cross gables, prominent chimneys, abundant dormers, and arched doorways are features of this style.

Our next stop is the lovely village of Barnsley.

Barnsley
Most all of the structures in the Cotswolds are built of the limestone that underlies the region. It is a beautiful honey-colored limestone  ("Cotswold Stone") 

Barnsley
Essentially all of the slate roofs that we saw in the Cotswolds were  graduated. That is, the slate tiles gradually decrease in size as the ridge is approached. This creates an expanded  dimension of height and distance and is very pleasing to the eye. 

Barnsley.
Hedgerows prevalent in the Cotswolds often hide much of the homes so that only the roof tops are visible.

Barnsley

Barnsley
A quaint village pub. As you can imagine, pubs are prevalent in the Cotswolds.

In the middle ages, the wool trade made the Cotswolds prosperous and left a heritage of superb homes, churches, and other buildings. Our next stop is the village of Bibury.

Bibury.
Frank Smith takes a break in front of the Swan Hotel, a 17th century Inn idyllically situated on the banks of the River Coln.

Bibury
Love the swoop in the stone wall!

Bibury - Arlington Row

The picturesque Arlington Row cottages in Bibury were built in 1380 as a monastic wool store. It was converted into a row of weavers' cottages in the 17th century. Arlington Row is probably one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds.

Bibury
Another view of Arlington Row

 Our next stops were in Fairford, Lechlade-on-Thames, and Burford.

Fairford
It's not uncommon to see these cottages almost completely engulfed in vines or even trees

Fairford
I love the small sentinel building integrated in the privacy wall. Note the swooped roof and the combination of stone and brick.

Burford

Burford

According to Forbes magazine, the medieval town of Burford ranks sixth as one of the most idyllic places to live in Europe. Numerous celebrities and dignitaries, including Kate Winslet, live in or near Burford.

A close-up view of the ancient character of the Burford rowhouses

Burford

 Our next stop was Bourton-on-the-Water.

Bourton-on-the-Water
The River Windrush that passes through Bourton-on-the-Water is crossed by numerous low, arched bridges. For that reason, the small village is often called the "Venice of the Cotswolds"

Another cottage serving as an Inn in Bourton-on-the-Water

The Dial House, a quaint hotel on Bourton-on-the-Water. That's Frank Smith at the entry.

 Our next stop was Lower Slaughter. I assumed that the name of this village had something to do with the ultimate destiny of certain farm animals, but I found that the name stems from the Old English name for a wet land "slough" upon which it lies.

Lower Slaughter
We found this relatively new development of five homes called "The Whitmores" in Lower Slaughter. It is striking that the new cottages are designed and built to emulate the centuries-old cottages - although hopefully with a few more modern conveniences and features!

Lower Slaughter
A close-up of one of the cottages at the Whitmores. Storybook cottages in the Cotswolds are graced with storybook names.

Another cottage in Lower Slaughter

 As if Bourton-on-the-Water wasn't enough, we had to see Bourton-on-the-Hill:

Bourton-on-the-Hill
We enjoyed a fabulous meal at the Horse and Groom Inn and Pub Restaurant 

Bourton-on-the-Hill
This lovely cottage has a beautifully manicured thatched roof alongside a slate roof. 

 In most of Europe and the UK, thatch remained the only roofing material available to the bulk of the population in many towns and villages until the late 1800s until the availability of slate. Gradually, thatch became a mark of poverty and the number of thatched properties gradually declined. Thatch has become much more popular in the UK over the past 30 years, and is now a symbol of wealth rather than poverty.

Another view of the same cottage in Bourton-on-the-Hill. 

Another view. I couldn't get enough pictures of this striking cottage.

 Our next stops were in Chipping Camden, Broadway, and Stanton.

Chipping Camden
Another cottage in danger in being engulfed by greenery. Good luck opening the windows!

Stanton

Stanton

Stanton

Stanton
If you look closely, you will see wire netting over the thatched roof. Otherwise, these thatched roofs would make excellent nesting sites!

Stanton
A centuries-old cottage and a man on horseback beckon us to a bygone era

Stanton

Stanton

Stanton

Stanton

I love the architecture of the Cotswolds because of its elegance and simplicity. Many American architects designed modern versions of the rustic homes, with the Cotswold style becoming especially popular in the U.S. in the 1920's and 1930's. However, given the rich legacy of the Cotswold style, there is still a demand for the timeless English Cottage.

A Myers Park cottage in the English Cotswold vernacular designed by Frank Smith and built by Goodwin Classic Homes. We couldn't bring that much Cotswold stone back with us, so we used the next best thing: 125-year-old hand-made brick. Note the similarity in the bay window with that of the first cottage photo in this posting.

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Please see my other postings on the Architecture of the Cotswolds!