Gothick staircase hall, Croft Castle

By country house standards the staircase hall at Croft Castle, Herefordshire, is modest in scale. However, size isn't everything as the architect and interior decorator responsible for the work, Thomas Farnolls Pritchard (1723-1777), knew. The Gothick plasterwork in the form of ceiling rose, waterleaf cornice, wall arches, shell recess and quatrefoil dado rail is masterly and gives lightness and delicacy to the space. The slender balusters and clustered newels of the stairs perfectly complement the walls and ceiling.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Old barn, new staircase

The conversion of old buildings to new uses is a common phenomenon in the UK today. And, regular occurrence though it may be, it still presents the owners and architects with a dilemma: should new additions mimic old examples, should they be contemporary solutions that acknowledge the building, or should they be new designs that pay no heed to their location. I always favour the second option, and that seems to be the most widely adopted approach too. Today's photography shows the staircase inserted in the medieval tithe barn in Abergavenny, Wales. Its sharp modern angles and steel are dissonant notes but the glass allows the old material to show through and the wood echoes one of the original building materials. My photograph required a strong silhouette to make the composition work better, and my wife obliged.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100