London WC1N 3ES
UK
Historic buildings are often not what they seem, or how we confidently and wrongly believe they ought to look…
•Were old houses ever built with reused ships’ timbers?
•Are black and white ‘Tudor’ buildings mainly a 19th century fashion?
•Is the appearance of many familiar historic castles as much the product of the restorers?
•How many of the claimed ‘secret tunnels’ from the basement to the docks or church actually exist?
As well as examining some of the popular myths about old buildings the lecture will discuss the tricky philosophical issues of authenticity, and the point at which a genuine historic building is so renewed that it effectively becomes a replica.
Drawing on examples from throughout the country the lecture will challenge some received wisdom – and offer some surprises!