The Impact of the Norman Invasion on Anglo Saxon Landscaping
The Impact of the Norman Invasion on Anglo Saxon Landscaping The arrival of the Normans in the 2nd half of the eleventh century irreparably altered The Anglo-Saxon lifestyle. Engineering and gardening were attributes that the Normans excelled in, trumping that of the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the occupation. But home life, household architecture, and decoration were out of the question until the Normans taken over the rest of the population. Because of this, castles were cruder buildings than monasteries: Monasteries were usually immense stone buildings located in the biggest and most fertile valleys, while castles were erected on windy crests where their inhabitants devoted time and space to tasks for offense and defense. Gardening, a quiet occupation, was unfeasible in these unproductive fortifications. The early Anglo-Norman style of architecture is portrayed in Berkeley Castle, which is perhaps the most untouched sample we have.
The keep is said to date from William the Conqueror's time. A monumental terrace serves as a hindrance to intruders who would try to mine the walls of the building. A scenic bowling green, covered in grass and surrounded by battlements cut out of an ancient yew hedge, creates one of the terraces.
The Genesis Of Outdoor Fountains
The Genesis Of Outdoor Fountains The incredible architecture of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to enhance your home. From the beginning, outdoor fountains were soley there to serve as functional elements. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be higher and closer to a water supply, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Serving as an element of decoration and celebration, fountains also generated clean, fresh drinking water. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times utilized by Romans to beautify their fountains. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his superiority over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains built to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
Indoor plumbing became the key source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to provide recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.
Contemporary fountains are used to embellish public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.