British architecture consists of a combination of styles from different historical periods. It includes Roman structures like Hadrian's Wall from the 2nd century AD, medieval buildings like the Norman Ely Cathedral and Rievaulx Abbey, Elizabethan mansions like Hardwick Hall, and modern high-tech buildings like Norman Foster's Swiss Re Tower. British architectural styles were also exported to colonies and influenced structures in the United States like Jamestown, the earliest English settlement in North America, and Trinity Church in New York City, which emulated 14th century English Gothic cathedrals.

1. British architecture consists
of an eclectic combination of
architectural styles.
Top: Stormont, Northern Ireland
Centre left: 30 St Mary Axe
and St Andrew Undershaft
Centre right: Rochdale Town Hall
Bottom left: Balmoral Hotel
Bottom right: Pembroke Castle

2. Celtic 500 bc

3. Roman AD 43

6. Hadrian's Wall
Roman Emperor Hadrian (ad 117–138) ordered the construction of a wall in northern
Britain, then part of the Roman Empire, to keep out the unconquered Caledonians of
Scotland. Built out of stone and turf between ad 121 and 126 and measuring about 119
km (74 mi) in length, the wall linked a series of forts and watchtowers. The forts were
located every 1.6 km (1 mi) along the wall and the watchtowers every 0.5 km (0.3 mi).
The Romans rebuilt Hadrian’s Wall several times throughout the 200s and 300s and
used it as a fortification until about 400.

7. King Arthur’s Round Table
In Arthurian legend, based on stories about the Anglo-Saxon
hero King Arthur, the Round Table at Camelot served as a
gathering place for Arthur’s knights. The table’s shape
ensured that all who sat around it were equals. This replica of
the Round Table can be seen at Winchester Castle in
England.

8. Canterbury, Kent
In ancient times, the town of Canterbury was England’s religious center. In the famous
Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer used the town as the destination for his characters, who
were on a pilgrimage to the shrine honoring St. Thomas á Becket. Tourism is an important
aspect of Kent’s economy as visitors are attracted to the city’s rich past and beautiful buildings.

9. Viking Settlement
Typical Viking settlements were centered around the longhouse, a large barnlike building
in which the family lived. Other buildings included storehouses, where grain and food
supplies were kept, and workshops, where weapons and farming tools were made.
Because the Vikings were skilled seafarers, many of their settlements were near water,
and they used their well-constructed boats for fishing, for trade, and to raid other
settlements and villages.
All rights reserved.

11. Ely Cathedral is an important NORMAN church in the eastern county of Cambridgeshire. The
cathedral was begun in 1083 and took more than 200 years to complete.

12. Rievaulx Abbey The Norman ruins of Rievaulx abbey, an impressive ecclesiastical structure that
dates to the 14th century, lie in a remote pastoral setting in northern England.David

13. Tower of London, England
The Tower of London, located on the northern bank
of the Thames River, was built about 1078. It was
used alternately as a fortress, royal residence, and
state prison in its early years. Today, it is
maintained as an arsenal with a garrison, and is
open to the public. The well-preserved Norman and
medieval structures cover nearly 7.2 hectares (18
acres).
White Tower,
at the heart of the
Tower of London

14. King’s College
Chapel
King’s College
Chapel,
completed in
1515, was one of
the first buildings
erected at the
University of
Cambridge in
England.

15. Cambridge University, Cambridge, England
Cambridge University in Cambridge, England, is one of the most
prestigious universities in the world. Founded in the 13th century, it
is also one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe. Among its many distinguished
graduates were Charles Darwin, John Maynard Keynes, Oliver Cromwell, and John
Milton.

16. All Souls College, Oxford University
England’s oldest institution of higher learning, Oxford University, is a federation of 35 colleges,
each with its own structure and activities. Many prominent people have attended the All Souls
College, shown here.

17. Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey,
begun in 1245 for King
Henry III, is the best-
known church in
England. The French
Gothic influence can be
seen in particular in the
window tracery, as well
as in the flying
buttresses. The chapel
of Henry VII, designed
in the Tudor style, was
added in 1503.

18. Elizabethan Hardwick
Hall
Built in the 1590s, Hardwick
Hall is one of the finest
Elizabethan mansions in
England. It was built for
Elizabeth, Countess of
Shrewsbury. The mansion's
grounds preserve the
original layout of walled
courtyards. Nearby are the
ruins of Hardwick Old Hall,
also built for the countess,
which was superseded by
the present mansion. The
county of Derbyshire is well
endowed with great houses,
many of which date back to
the 15th century. Apart
from Hardwick Hall, some
of the best known include
Haddon, Chetsworth, and
Sudbury halls.

19. Shakespeare’s Birthplace
English playwright William
Shakespeare was born in this
house on Henley Street in
Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564.
Shakespeare’s father, John,
purchased the building in two
stages, in 1556 and 1572. Today,
Shakespeare’s birthplace is a
museum, furnished as it might
have been in Shakespeare’s time.
It also houses an exhibit on
Shakespeare’s life.
Topham/The Image Works

20. 17th. century
Queen’s House
Queen’s House (1616-1635), designed by English architect
Inigo Jones for the wife of King James I, was the first
Palladian-style villa built in England.

21. Interior of Saint Paul’s
Cathedral
Saint Paul’s Cathedral in
London, England, was
designed by Sir Christopher
Wren. The interior contains
many sculptures, paintings,
murals, and other artworks
executed by various artists.
Seen above the high altar
is a carved and guilded
canopy of marble and oak.

22. Saint Paul’s cathedral

23. Cottage

24. A Terrace

25. A Semi-detached

26. Detached

27. Block of flats

28. A Bungalow
A bungalow is a one story house,

29. Swiss tower – Sir Norman Foster
High –tech
style

30. The united states of america
T.
Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement in North America was established in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia,
shown here in reconstruction. The colony was the project of the London Company, which was chartered in
the previous year by England’s King James I. Under the leadership of John Smith of the London Company,
the colony barely survived famine, Native American attacks, and an outbreak of malaria. New settlers and
supplies arrived in 1610, and commercial development of tobacco crops finally enabled the colony to
thrive.
reserved

31. Saint Luke’s Church
Saint Luke’s Church in Smithfield, Virginia, was built about 1682 to 1685 in
the late Gothic style, with pointed windows. This style was brought from
England, along with the Church of England, by colonists who settled in the
South. Unlike America’s Northern colonies, the Southern colonies did not reak
away from the Church of England.

32. Cliveden
The Benjamin Chew house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known as Cliveden
(1763-1767), belongs to the Georgian period of architecture.
Cliveden’s classical detailing, which represents the period well, includes a
central projecting section topped by a triangular pediment, dentil (toothlike)
molding at the base of the roof, and the Roman Doric columns and smaller
pediment framing the doorway.

33. Governor Goodwin Mansion
The Governor Goodwin mansion in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was built in 1811. Its
simple, flat facade and doorway fronted by classical columns is typical of the Federal
architectural style. This style was influenced by British architect Robert Adam.

34. Irving Underhill/Corbis
Upjohn’s Trinity Church
American architect Richard Upjohn
considered the Gothic revival style
particularly appropriate for churches, as
seen in his masterpiece, Trinity Church
in New York City. He based its single
tower, pointed spire, and pointed
windows on 14th-century Gothic
churches in England. Completed in
1846, Trinity Church was for a time the
tallest building in the city.

35. Lever House, New York City
Lever House (1951-1952) was one of
the earliest steel and glass office
towers and the first such tower in
New York City. The building occupies
only part of its site, leaving an open
plaza at street level. It was designed
by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the
firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

36. San Juan’s
Cathedral

37. San Juan’s Cathedral after the
earthquake 1944

38. New San Juan’s Cathedral