Spring 2013 - the P&G Associates Website

Then the two groups swapped places.The lower two storeys of Soane’s House haverecently been restored, putting the house back to thestate it was in when he died.It's a vast, atmospheric, dark, rabbit-warren of aplace packed with architectural bits and bobs, ahuge library of books, the odd sarcophagus, a modelof his mausoleum (inspiration for the famous redtelephone box!), statuary, brooding dark woodpanelled rooms, a Turner, a brace of Canalettos andPiranesis, and Hogarth's Rakes Progress. There ishardly any light in the place, and after dark they giveyou a candle to walk around with!And then there is the astonishing picture room,jammed with jobbing artists’ renditions of his manyarchitectural projects, some realised, many not; plusarchitectural fantasies – such as a fantasy picture ofLondon which includes a mountain!The whole back wallof the picture roomopens up to reveal,another wall alsopacked with suchpaintings. This, in turnopens up to reveal aspace with a statue of anymph, more paintingsand a void down intothe bowels of thehouse. The picture(right) gives but a poorimpression of theexperience of thisSoane’s Picture Room.room.When the restoration is complete and the upperthree storeys opened, they plan to put back his vastcollection of architectural models. So a return in2015 is in order!Kevin WilliamsBushy Park & Hampton Court WalkOn a rather cold and foggy mid-Decembermorning 19 warmly-clad Associates gathered inBushy Park for a walk around the Tudor Deer Parkthen along the Thames Path to return via HamptonCourt Palace.Though Bushy Park is mostly associated with theadjacent Hampton Court Palace it has been settledfor at least 4000 years and contains traces of a largeand complete medieval field system.Heading first past the Arethusa ‘Diana’ Fountainwe passed through the woodland gardens thenheaded east to pass the ponds and to join theThames Path by Kingston Bridge.From the Thames Path we entered into Home Parkand walked alongside Long Water to enter HamptonCourt Palace Gardens and from there to The KingsArms – located just outside the palace gates – for aleisurely lunch and a short walk back to themorning’s meeting point.Chris WhiteA Visit to WinchesterOn a cold, crisp Thursday before Xmas, 38Associates gathered in the wonderful old town ofWinchester, former capital city of England, tosample a few of its attractions.We started at the Cathedral, first built in 1079 (it’sconstruction was dramatised in Ken Follett’s ‘Pillarsof the Earth’, and part of the building stood-in for theVatican in ‘The Da Vinci Code’!) and contains mucharchitecture from the 11th to 16th centuries. It is theburial place of Alfred the Great, St Swithin and JaneAusten, (Jane, not because she was famous at thetime, but because her brother Henry had clericalconnections at the cathedral!).We had a marvellous guide who brought the placeto life with tales of how the cathedral was rebuiltfrom the three-vaulted Gothic style to the twovaulted perpendicular style in the 14th Century,though the north nave retains the original structure,which is also illustrated on the font. This must havebeen an immense undertaking, showing the daringand ingenuity of the builders of the time.He also showed us where the cathedral has beensinking on the southeast side, and told the tale of thediver William Walker. When collapse seemedimminent, Walker worked in 20 foot deep water, inthe flooded foundations, in total darkness for 6 hoursa day. Over 5 years from 1906, he shored up thefoundations with 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000concrete blocks and 900,000 bricks!! His work,which saved the cathedral, was much celebrated andhe was rewarded by King George V.Much of the originalstained glass was smashedby Cromwell’s men, butthere is a wonderful pre-Raphaelite stained glasswindow by Edward Burne-Jones in place. In thepartially flooded crypt is awonderfully evocativestatue (right) by AntonyGormley of a figurecontemplating water held in cupped hands.Following an excellent and very Christmassy lunchat the Bishop on the Bridge pub, in the town, the4 | The Associate