
Late Medieval Lodging Ranges
The Architecture of Identity, Power and Space
Sarah Kerr(Author)
Boydell Press
Published on 3. October 2023
Book
Hardback
278 pages
978-1-78327-757-5 (ISBN)
Description
This book draws on architectural and archaeological analysis to consider the form, function, use and meaning of late medieval lodging ranges.
While we know a great deal about most elements of the late medieval great house, we understand very little about their lodging ranges, and even less on their contributions to the lived experience of the household and wider society. Why were lodging ranges built, for example, and how were they used?
It is this gap in our knowledge which the present book aims to fill. It draws on archaeological and architectural analysis of lodging ranges to show that they were some of the finest living spaces within the great house, built as accommodation for high-ranking members of the household. Their low-, even single-, occupancy rooms, accessible via individual doors, were innovatory, showing how the idea of privacy developed. The explicit displays of uniformity upon the lodging ranges' symmetrical facades were juxtaposed with variations within.
Surviving lodging ranges (including Wingfield Manor, Middleham Castle and Dartington Hall) are examined, alongside the lost example of Caister Castle, demonstrating how lodging ranges simultaneously reflected and shaped medieval life; the author argues that their very form and stones, and their manipulation of space, enabled them to have multi-faceted functions, including the representation of multiple and even conflicting identities.
While we know a great deal about most elements of the late medieval great house, we understand very little about their lodging ranges, and even less on their contributions to the lived experience of the household and wider society. Why were lodging ranges built, for example, and how were they used?
It is this gap in our knowledge which the present book aims to fill. It draws on archaeological and architectural analysis of lodging ranges to show that they were some of the finest living spaces within the great house, built as accommodation for high-ranking members of the household. Their low-, even single-, occupancy rooms, accessible via individual doors, were innovatory, showing how the idea of privacy developed. The explicit displays of uniformity upon the lodging ranges' symmetrical facades were juxtaposed with variations within.
Surviving lodging ranges (including Wingfield Manor, Middleham Castle and Dartington Hall) are examined, alongside the lost example of Caister Castle, demonstrating how lodging ranges simultaneously reflected and shaped medieval life; the author argues that their very form and stones, and their manipulation of space, enabled them to have multi-faceted functions, including the representation of multiple and even conflicting identities.
Reviews / Votes
This is a thoughtful and worthwhile study. It will be essential reading for anyone wishing to develop an understanding of this fascinating building type. * VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Woodbridge
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
1 map, 41 b/w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
587 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78327-757-5 (9781783277575)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2023
1st Edition
Boydell & Brewer Ltd
€48.99
Available for download

E-Book
10/2023
1st Edition
De Gruyter
€48.99
Available for download
Person
SARAH KERR is a medieval archaeologist and heritage specialist who has worked across Western Europe. She is a lecturer in archaeology and a member of the Radical Humanities Laboratory, University College Cork, Ireland.
Content
List of Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction: What are Lodging Ranges?
1. A Room of One's Own
2. Expressions of Individuality and Collectivity
3. The Theatre of Display
4. The Spaces Between
Envoi: Narratives in Stone and Space
Glossary
Gazetteer A
Gazetteer B
Bibliography
Index
Preface and Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction: What are Lodging Ranges?
1. A Room of One's Own
2. Expressions of Individuality and Collectivity
3. The Theatre of Display
4. The Spaces Between
Envoi: Narratives in Stone and Space
Glossary
Gazetteer A
Gazetteer B
Bibliography
Index