Town Houses of Medieval Britain

Apollo, April, 2004 by John Goodall

Anthony Quiney Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2003, ISBN 0 300 09385 3, 35 [pounds sterling] (UK), $60 (US) (cloth)

This stimulating book aims to present the first general history of the medieval town house in Britain. Anthony Quiney defines his subject in the broadest terms, considering all types of domestic building in medieval settlements of any scale, from modest boroughs to such great cities as London, Norwich and York. The survey ranges also across the whole extent of England, Scotland and Wales and embraces buildings erected between the collapse of Roman rule and the Reformation in the 1530s. In the case of Scotland it treats the period up to the accession of James VI to the English throne in 1603. It is inspiring and refreshing to see a scholar confident enough to produce a volume of such ambitious scope.

The book is divided into two parts, each comprising nine chapters. In the first part the historical, cultural and economic background to the development of medieval towns in England, Wales and Scotland is discussed, it concludes with three chapters discussing medieval town planning and the materials used for the construction of houses in this period. The second part of the book attempts a thematic and broadly chronological survey of town architecture. Its nine chapters deal respectively with the following themes: domestic architecture until the eleventh century; undercrofts in towns; palaces; merchants' houses; greater medieval town houses; collegiate, almshouse and guildhall architecture; small town houses in the late Middle Ages; and terrace houses. Finally, since the survey treats a longer period in Scotland than England, the last chapter deals with Scottish building up to 1603. Bar a small number of rather grubby or badly reproduced illustrations, this is also a beautifully produced volume, with numerous plans, drawings and photographs to illustrate its argument.

Dr Quiney is surely correct to aim for a broad view of his subject: it is only by taking an inclusive view of town architecture that it is possible to break down some of the barriers that have persistently obstructed a coherent account of medieval domestic architecture. This he does engagingly and thoughtfully. Only occasionally does the breadth of his work betray him. For example, in his discussion of great towers, he seems unaware of the implications of the excavation of Ivry-la-Bataille on our understanding of the Tower of London and the keep at Colchester. And in his refreshing treatment of great halls, he seems reluctant to explore the full implications of the parallels that he acknowledges with monastic architecture. These, I would suggest, call into question some of the received distinctions between first-floor and ground-floor halls that he sets out.

The integrated overview that the book presents has only one important disadvantage and this--in a sense--is only a consequence of its own success. What the book proves is that specialist town housing only makes sense in the wider context of medieval building practice. And in leaving that wider picture only partially discussed, the reader--and the author--can sometimes be confused. For example, New College, Oxford, was an architectural novelty in the context of a town (p. 192). But to say so is to miss the point: the building is actually an adaptation of Edward III's royal lodgings at Windsor Castle. Incidentally, the college was in turn the direct inspiration for Browne's Hospital at Stamford, a building discretely discussed in the text (pp. 227-28).

My only serious reservation about the book as a whole is Dr Quiney's stark and constrained presentation of the Middle Ages. Although he rightly stresses the importance of the church and devotion in medieval society, his bold treatment of it sometimes smacks of caricature. His concluding comments, for example, that only after the Reformation did 'thoughtful people ... eventually come to accept that they were responsible for their own salvation, and that this was not to be purchased through a timely endowment [to the church]' (p. 293) appears surprising in the light of recent scholarship on the subject. Just as important is the implicit contention--however softened by acknowledgement of continuities--that in the 1530s an architectural tradition came to an end in England. If he were discussing ecclesiastical architecture it would be difficult to disagree. But in the domestic sphere I am yet to be convinced. Indeed, Dr Quiney's short conclusion simply announces the end of the book rather than resolving its intriguing plot. Is it pedantic to observe in this respect that the front cover actually depicts an event in London held in 1547?

Such quarrels aside, this is an impressive piece of work, wide-ranging, engaging, accessible and authoritative. It is also readable, with a strong sense of narrative and a distinctive authorial voice. It deserves to be widely read.