A Dan’s home is his castle.
See what I did there?
I crack myself up sometimes.
I'd love one if truth be told. An actual castle, with turrets, a moat and a
draw bridge. It would be a werewolf’s
arse to heat, and a ghost’s fart to clean but amazing it would be. In it would be period furniture, a bat or two
and a large fire with a spit. For my
Quorn roasts of course...
Ok, realistically I'd settle for an atmospheric stately
home. Like the haunted one in Peter
Medak's The Changeling - or the (other) haunted one used in The Others. I would promise to keep all the doors closed
if I lived in the latter.
There's something about large stately homes/mansions that
appeal. Most people probably think this
way – all wanting to be rich and own a large house. But there is something about Gothic
architecture that appeals to, er, goffs.
First a bit of patronising history. Gothic architecture came about in the late medieval
period – but enjoyed a revival in mid-18th century England. It featured distinct characteristics such as
the pointed arch, vaulted ceiling, the flying buttress and an obscene use of
gargoyles. Whilst most authentic Gothic
architecture is featured on large buildings of worship or castles, many private
dwellings contain these features – and it’s this nod to Gothic architecture
that I most love.
So let’s push open the creaky door of Gothic architecture
a little more and delve into those key characteristics (told you it would be
patronising)...
The pointed
arch
Ok, a firm favourite, and unmistakably Gothic. Although decorative, it was designed to be extremely functional as it distributed the force of heavier ceilings and bulkier designs and could support a lot more weight – hence its use in large buildings such as cathedrals and castles. Of course, it was aesthetically pleasing also – and was a huge influence on the vaulted ceiling.
On my travels I have spotted many arched front doors on
private houses – with huge black iron
hinges. These houses haven’t required
the more practical use of an arch – but there’s nothing like walking up to an
arched front door of a private house. It
tells the visitor a lot about the owner, and the interior style they have
chosen for their home.
An example of a pointed arch. Lovely.
The vaulted
ceiling
A little harder to incorporate into a private home, but
still very dramatic all the same. Again,
these were also functional as they spread the force and weight from upper
floors. They also provided an impression
of height – which added to the overall feeling of grandeur and elegance.
A vaulted ceiling. Spiffing.
The flying
buttress
The flying buttress is a key external feature of Gothic
architecture – and again is routed in functionality. Its main purpose is to act as a medieval scaffold
– only a permanent one. These elegant
little (well, big) beauties took the weight off the walls and transferred the
force directly into the ground. As with
all the other architectural features they are so elaborately designed in
themselves, that it’s easy to forget – or not even notice - their function. Which is how it should be.
A flying buttress. It doesn't really fly. That would be silly.
The (obscene use
of) gargoyle(s)
One of the most notable characteristics is our friend, the Gargoyle; little monsters perched aloft roofs and battlements of buildings and castles. Scary little blighters. They were built partly to scare medieval peasants into the church or cathedral that featured them – in order to seek solace and safety. It worked.
Unsurprisingly, their other function is, er,
functional. They were used as a medieval
type gutter, enabling rainwater to drain off the roof through their open
mouths. Impressive stuff.
A gargoyle just hanging out, watching stuff - generally having a good day.
So, taking away the fact that a lot of features of Gothic
architecture were born out of function and necessity, it’s clear that the
general design is big, bombastic, beautiful and very dramatic. Everyone has their own opinion on what they
like or don’t like, but for me it’s the dramatic effect this kind of
architecture has on me that makes me love it so much. It’s a bit of a cliche, but stir into the mix
the fact that churches also accommodate graveyards and the attraction is
obvious.
These buildings are also heavily associated with tales of
horror and the supernatural. In the 1700’s
the word ‘Gothic’ acquired a new meaning – a trend for a new genre in
literature: the ‘gothic’ novel. Possibly
beginning with the 1764 novel ‘The Castle of Otranto’ by Horace Walpole, these
stories told of horror and romance using castles, abbeys and manors as their
backdrop. This interest in Gothic literature continued through the century's with writers such as Mary Shelley who gave us 'Frankenstein' in 1818, Edgar Allan Poe who was writing in the mid 1800's and of course Bram Stoker's very own Dracula in 1897. All intended to evoke feelings of fear in the reader as well as a dollop of romantic imagery in terms of the locations and buildings.
Whitby Abbey: the 'mother' of all abbeys
These days, when people describe a building as ‘gothic’
it’s usually a combination of the two different uses of the word: the architectural style of the building
as well as the creepy and spooky atmospherics that have Gothic literature - and as time went by, film - to thank.
Now the appreciation for this fabulous style becomes glaringly
obvious J
Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahhaa..agh....
*blows out the candle he didn't light* *feels stupid*
