Following Henry VIII’s break with Rome, in just five short years his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, masterminded the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was one of the most dramatic and fast-paced upheavals of the social and architectural fabric in the history of this country. Monks and nuns were expelled, and orders went out for the deserted monasteries to be dismantled, their churches to be demolished, the lead from roofs to be melted down and sold and their sites transformed into architectural salvage yards. Some surviving buildings became cathedrals, or colleges at the universities, while others were left to fall into ruin. This richly illustrated book gives a wide-ranging insight into a fleeting moment in this country’s architectural history representing a period of great change and subsequent rebirth.

Author Jane Whitaker Published by Unicorn ISBN 9781913491918 EAN 9781913491918 Bic Code Cover Hardback