Kent: North East and East

Buildings of England

Newman John

The exceptionally rich architecture of eastern Kent is covered by this fully revised, updated and expanded edition of John Newman's classic survey, first published in 1969. This city of Canterbury is the county's greatest treasure, and its glorious cathedral is the first mature example of Gothic architecture in England. The influence of Canterbury appears also in the remains of St Augustine's seventh-century mission churches, and in sophisticated Norman carved work at churches such as Barfrestone. Kent is also a maritime county, and its coastal towns are excitingly diverse: the royal stronghold of Dover with its mighty medieval castle; the medieval port of Sandwich; and resorts large and small, from genteel Folkestone to lively Margate, with its bold new art gallery.

About the Author

John Newman is overall advisory editor of the" Pevsner Architectural Guides" and author of the much praised volume on "Glamorgan". He is also a Commissioner for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments for Wales.

Reviews

"For Newman, writing in 1986, 'the publication of each new volume of Buildings of England transformed a county for its readers'. This is no more the case than with his wonderful Kent volumes, which combined the Pevsnerian broad sweep with a local's eye for the individual and the particular. Indeed, Newman's gift, alongside his careful analyses of Kent's more famous buildings, is the way in which in just a few sentences he is able to conjure the essence of a place, of the otherwise unremarked-upon little village or the tucked away church or farmhouse" – Owen Hopkins, Burlington Magazine

"Probably no current architectural historian knows Kent as well we John Newman, a life-long resident of the county. He wrote the two-volume 'Buildings of England' coverage in 1969, and is also responsible for its revision, of which this is the first instalment. It goes without saying that, as with all Pevsner revisions, the volume is packed with additional information, the colour illustrations are excellent, and there are helpful plans, particularly of town centres" – Roger White, Historic Houses

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