"Is that a Gargoyle on your roof, or are you just pleased to see me"

*Doesn't light candle today as it's so freakin' hot*

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-18^th 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*