224 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[JlLY, 



water be obtained, but mouldings and enrichments of all kinds can 

 be also executed, with a sharpness and delicacy of finish which it 

 is impossible to surpass. 



In the building here represented, which was erected about seven- 

 teen years ago, and which occupies a very elevated and exposed 

 site on the l)orders of Hampshire, not far distant from the sea — 

 the capitals and bases, and the flutings of the shafts of the columns 

 ( which were executed in a most masterly manner, and with a 

 degree of accuracy and truth, as to entasis and details, which left 

 nothing to be desired) remain as yet uninjured. And the arrises 

 of the fillets between the flutes, even of those columns which are 

 exposed to the south-west, without protection of any kind from the 

 violence of the winds and rain (with which, from that quarter, we 

 are so often visited) were, when I saw them about ten months 

 since, as sharp and perfect as any which can be formed by the 

 chisel of the mason. 



I could mention a great number of buildings, some of them much 

 larger and more highly ileeorated, on which the same material 

 has been successfully used. Hut I have selected this, because it 

 was the first of any magnitude on which I ventured to employ it; 

 and it is the oldest work of my own to which 1 can refer. It is 

 true, that a period of seventeen years (although much longer than 

 some of the building stones which have been used in this country 

 would endure under the same influences) ofl^ers but a narrow founda- 

 tion whereon to build an hypothesis as to the permanent durability 

 of any kind of material. But we all know that mortar, such as 

 that which I have mentioned, will (if it escapes the trials to which 

 it is subjected for the first few years, before the induration pro- 

 duced by the absorption of carbonic acid has made much progress) 

 continue to increase in hardness, for a period of which the limits 

 have never yet been ascertained. I know of one case, where it 

 was used as an external casing about seventy years ago, and it has 

 now become so hard and compact as to render'it almost impossible 

 to doubt its continued durability. I remember, too, that about a 

 year-and-a-half ago, in clearing a site for some new buildings, I 

 had to remove a balustrade which had been put up about fifty 

 years before. The capping of this balustrade, which had been 

 executed in Bath stone, was in a most deplorable and dilapidated 

 condition, but the ballusters (formed of grey stone lime, and rather 

 fine, but very sharp silicious sand) were, in all respects, quite 

 sound and jierfect, exhibiting not the smallest approach to decay 

 or disintegration; indeed, nothing but the fact of their being 

 hollow, which was disclosed on their removal, would have con- 

 vinced the workmen that they had not been carved out of some 

 hard and compact stone. 



In the very interesting paper on the Brick Churches of Germany, 

 which was read here some time since, it was stated, that the 

 mortar used in their construction, after the lapse of more than 500 

 years was so hard as to be capable of receiving a polish like marble. 

 This, although a remarkable, is by no means a singular instance of 

 that durability which judiciously formed compounds of lime and 

 sand do undoubtedly possess; and it is on account of the abundant 

 evidence which exists of their power of resisting atmospheric in- 

 fluences, that I have hitherto given them the preference over all 

 other kinds of artificially-formed materials which have been used 

 for covering the exteriors of buildings. 



It was my intention to enter, at some length, into the respective 

 merits of the blue lias and the grey stone limes; but fin<lin<j- it 

 impossible to introduce this and otlier subjects connected with 

 them in the compass of a single paper, I have been obli^'ed to 

 reserve the consideration of them for some future opportunity, 

 when I may, perhaps, trespass again upon your attention. 



Remarks.— In the discussion which followed, Mr. Fraxcis ex- 

 pressed his regret that the paper just read contained matter not 

 quite germane to its subject, which he considered to be one of 

 great practical imiiortance, as the emplovment of stucco must 

 occasionally very properly take place. He then proceeded, at 

 some length, to vindicate architects of the present day from the 

 charge of servilely copying the buildings of the middle age.s, which 

 had been advanced by .Mr. Knowles, and observed that the charge 

 of want of novelty and of copyism applies to those who affect the 

 classic styles, rather than to tliose who try to follow the spirit of 

 media?val architecture. Recurring to the subject of cement— be 

 held it to be perfectly legitimate to apply it to cover a plain 

 surface; but he considered it a material quite inadequate for the 

 purpose of minute and elaborate design in ornamental work, which, 

 wlien executed in it, must want the freedom of touch and tlie 

 artistic feeling belonging to the chisel. Increased knowledge of 

 the subject of building stones may enable us, eventually, to render 

 the least enduring of them impervious to water, by injection of a 



fluid, or other means by which their natural defects may be over- 

 come; but he felt assured, that we shall never emulate the build- 

 ings of the middle ages, nor discover a nevr style, by introducing in 

 minute decoration the material bo highly approved of in the paper. 

 .Mr. Knowles explained that reference had been made to designs 

 on the walls, solely for the purpose of illustrating the enduring 

 quality of stucco in an unusually exposed situation — that he himself 

 felt the evils of which he had complained, and did not profess to 

 be free of them— but he thought, that if the talent which had been 

 recently brought to bear upon mediaeval architecture, had been 

 directed into a more useful channel, greater progress might by 

 this time have been made towards a style creditable to the age in 

 which it was introduced. 



Mr. G. G. Scott thought the evils complained of arose, not from 

 a vant of knowledge, but from its too extensive character; and 

 and that we are acquainted with so many styles,.that we do not 

 know which to select. Classic architecture, after having had some 

 three hundred years to develope itself, had, in many instances, 

 degenerated into the state complained of. Without, in any way,' 

 retrograding to the manners and customs of five centuries ago, the 

 remedy would be the introduction of a style capable of great 

 development, which, if properly carried out', would, he believed, 

 be found more adapted to the wants of the present day than anv 

 modification of the classical style. Without objecting to the use o'f 

 plaster in proper situations, he certainly held the use of Roman 

 cement to be destructive of the true character of art, by assisting 

 in the imitation of other materials, and thus producing false ap- 

 pearances. The charge of copyism he repudiated altogether: what 

 they did attempt by the study of ancient examples was to catch 

 their spirit, and they were encouraged to proceed, by observing 

 the progress made year by year, which showed that the revival 

 had given greater proofs of vitality than architecture of an exclu- 

 sively classical character had given during three centuries. 



Mr. Knowles considered that a building cased with stone pre- 

 sented an appearance equally false as one covered with cement. 

 No mediajval erections were, in his opinion, superior to the upper 

 portion of the steeple of Bow Church, nor is there a structure in 

 the world so exquisite as the outline of St. Paul's. 



Mr. Donaldson, Hon. Sec. F.C., said, that, assthetically speak- 

 ing, stone must be considered preferable to stucco, on account of 

 its greater beauty and variety of tint, while the jointing given to 

 cement, in order to make it imitate stone, produces evidently a 

 false appearance. He then pointed out the superiority in eflect 

 and appearance, which a figure executed in marble possesses over 

 a cast in plaster, and demonstrated that this superiority is due to 

 the inherent beauty of the material, and not to the mere circum- 

 stance of the marble being the more costly in point of expense. 



An observation by Mr. Scott, that there is more copyism in the 

 details of Sir Christopher Wren's works than in most Gothic build- 

 ings he was acquainted " ith, called forth the expression of a directly 

 contrary opinion from Mr. Billings, who also took the opportunity 

 to dissent from a statement made at the last meeting, tliat all the 

 Scotch castles might be placed within the walls of one Welsh castle. 

 In support of his counter-statement, Mr. Billings gave instances of 

 the extent of ground occupied by the castles of Edinburgh and 

 Stirling. 



The President having pointed out the advantages arising from 

 meetings such as the present, in eliciting discussion on useful 

 to]iics, a vote of thanks was then passed to Mr. Knowles, and the 

 meeting adjourned. 



STANIO.V CHURCH, NORTHA.MPTONSHIRE. 



There is a range of churches along the northern border of 

 Northamptonshire, whose detached position renders them less 

 known than their merits deserve. Though somewhat plain in their 

 general asjiect, there is a dignity of proportion, and stateliness of 

 outline very satisfactory. Of these may be enumerated Cottingham, 

 Brampton, Desborough, Loddington,' Corby, and Stanion. The 

 latter, which may be taken as a sample, is remarkable for its 

 slender and unusually lofty spire. Many portions of the church 

 exhibit portions of early work, and others which, upon examination, 

 ]n-ove to be of much later date, are nevertheless in character 

 correspondent with these. 



The chancel has some very good windows, with incipient tracery 

 in the heads. The aisles and clerestory are mostly Perpendicular, 

 and do not call for particular notice. 'Phe long double belfry lights 

 in the tower, with their transoms, and the small buttresses 

 (attached only to the western corners), will be observed as peculiar. 



