During August 1453, Henry VI suffered a debilitating setback in his mental health which left him in a catatonic stupor. As he languished in the rambling rural palace of Clarendon in Wiltshire, England slid inexorably towards civil war. Henry left few lasting achievements, however, he did lavish great expense on his building projects at Eton College and King’s College, Cambridge.
Whilst the king concentrated on educational institutions, his courtiers began work on buildings which fundamentally altered the face of English architecture for over a century. The new fashions often demanded brick construction, residential great towers or gatehouses and regular courtyard plans.
Touching on a number of late mediaeval sites, in particular, this lecture examines the contrasts between Lord Cromwell’s work at Tattershall, Archbishop Bourchier’s construction at Knole and Henry’s own building at Eton.
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