Description

Architectural historian Alec Clifton-Taylor OBE presents a potted history and architectural study of six small English towns of great character. Guiding viewers through the pattern of English building , Clifton-Taylor examines the differing use of local materials in each town s grand public buildings, manor houses and modest homes, and plots the evolution of each settlement in relation to its landscape. Erudite, agreeable and accessible, Clifton-Taylor’s passion for his subject is also displayed in forthright criticism for modern developments that threaten the identity of a community. A champion of pedestrianisation and despiser of multi-storey car parks, he makes a convincing case for the conservation of our traditional living and working spaces. In this first series he visits Chichester in West Sussex, Richmond (Yorkshire), Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire), Stamford (Lincolnshire), Totnes (Devon) and Ludlow (Shropshire). First broadcast on the BBC Two in 1978, the programmes now serve as a fascinating historical snapshot of the enduring character of each locale.