Building England

Part of the long-running Globe Trekker series' 16th season, this lovingly photographed two-parter offers a survey of English architecture, starting from the early Middle Ages. Hosted by the energetic Judith Jones, the first episode, “Before There Were Architects,” generally moves from North to South, beginning with the remains of the Irish monastery founded on the island of Lindisfarne in the 7th century and then proceeding on to the great ecclesiastical edifices of the High Middle Ages—cathedrals at Durham, Ely, York, and Canterbury—as well as the ruins of the Cistercian abbey at Fountains. Interviewed experts provide detailed historical information, while graphs and building plans are employed to help clarify their remarks. The latter part of the episode turns to the castles of the later Middle Ages and the style of building that was representative of the Tudor-Stuart period, with special attention given to post-Reformation sites such as the King's Chapel at Cambridge and the Burghley House in Lincolnshire, wrapping up with a look at the work of famed architects including Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren. Each stop offers only a thumbnail sketch, and even the more extended profiles—for instance, York and Burghley House—are quite short. But together they testify to the wealth of extraordinary sites for travelers in England to visit. The second episode, “The Age of Architects,” covers the subsequent 200 years of British architectural history. Sure to appeal to Anglophiles and armchair travelers, this is recommended. Aud: P. (F. Swietek)