Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Tattershall Castle, 1434-46. He was in France through most of the reign of
Henry V (1413-22), as Lloyd (1923, 7) states, Cromwell:
…was present at the taking of Caen, Courtonne, Chambrays and other places in
1418. Sir Roger de Fynes, builder of Herstmonceaux,
c.
1446 fought at Agincourt
and in subsequent engagements in the wars of Henry V.
It was in the early fifteenth century that a much higher standard of brickwork
was introduced into England, due to an influx of Flemish and Dutch crafts-
men, from around 1410 up to the late 1480s. These builders began construct-
ing features previously seen in the Low Countries and Germany. Many rich
English merchants, at this time, became familiar with the wonderful use of
brick as a major constructional material in the prosperous 'Hanse' towns and
cities of both the Low Country and Northern Germany, all trading within the
powerful 'Hanseatic League'. This was an international corporation of influ-
ential and wealthy merchants responsible for transporting goods overland
and overseas. England had trading links with the league through ports such as
Kings Lynn and Kingston-Upon-Hull. Some of the late-medieval bishops also
had a significant influence on the increasing popularity of brick in England as
a decorative indeed prestigious, rather than a subsidiary building material. As
Wight (1972, 142) states these bishops:
…were great political forces, at least those who held the most important sees.
They counted as part of the mediaeval nobility…Their power was thus ecclesiasti-
cal and secular. They controlled large estates.
Through their roles in the Church many were familiar with what was occurring
spiritually, politically and commercially on the continent; and of European
architectural fashions too. When they built their palaces and granges, or
helped others to found schools and college buildings, they frequently chose
brick. William of Waynflete (1395-1486), Bishop of Winchester, founded Eton
College, Buckinghamshire,
c
.1442-51, Wainfleet School, Lincolnshire,
c
.1484,
and built Mattingley Church, Hampshire. Cardinal John Morton (1420-1500)
Bishop of Ely, built 'Old Palace' in the grounds of Hatfield House in a charm-
ing russet brick
c
.1480-90. Cardinal John Fisher (
c
.1469-1535) Bishop of
Rochester, was Chancellor of Cambridge University and organised the build-
ing of Christ's (
c
.1505) and St. John's Colleges (
c
.1511), Cambridge generously
financed by Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Cardinal Wolsey (1475-1530) also chose it when he commenced building
Hampton Court Palace in 1515, on the site, and incorporating part of, an earl-
ier moated brick-built mansion
c
.1495-50 (Thurley, 2003, 9-14) built by Lord
Daubney (1451-1508). Wolsey, as Simon Thurley (2003, 41) so succinctly states,
