Discover the evolution of English Renaissance architecture from 1500 to 1800.
This concise handbook traces how foreign ideas met a deep-rooted English building tradition, shaping a new, harmonious style that reached its peak with Inigo Jones and later with Sir Christopher Wren.
Blomfield explains, in accessible terms, how three forces drove the movement: the steady import of foreign techniques, the work of native and Flemish builders, and the eventual Palladian influence that defined English architecture for two centuries. The text situates each development within its historical context, from early experiments to the rise of a national architectural language.
- Clear framework for understanding how Renaissance ideas arrived and adapted in England.
- Profiles of major figures, from early foreign workmen to Palladian-inspired masters.
- Context for key buildings and the evolution of house planning, plaster and brickwork, and decorative arts.
- Illustrated references to notable structures and plates that illuminate the period's diverse styles.
Ideal for readers of architectural history and anyone curious about how a historic style grew, blended, and transformed English towns and country houses.