The rich variety of building materials is one of the most striking things about British architecture. Look around you in any town and you’ll see stone church spires, red brick houses, shop fronts decorated with tiles, perhaps an older timber-framed house, an Edwardian theatre with an ornate plastered facade, or a market hall with a roof of glass and iron. In this course we will look at these different materials and how they have influenced British architecture, exploring along the way all kinds of buildings, from elaborate Gothic churches to simple cottages made from timber, thatch, and mud. All-comers welcome.