Who Built Britain

 In my writing career I have explored army supply which drew in British manufacturing but also British construction. 

This latter string, I am researching at the moment. Military building features throughout. Roman roads were built for the Roman legions. William the Conqueror was castle builder extraordinary, that is until Edward’s stunning Welsh castles. 

Moving ahead, there were the barracks builders to see off the Scots. There were Martello Towers to defend our coastline, followed by Lord Palmerstone’s Forts 

The Woolwich Arsenal reaches into the twentieth century as does Weedon Bec. We then have the massive building challenge of the WW1 munitions factories and the Ordnance Deoits and airfields of WW2 

Throughout it all the dockyards created the ships for an indomitable Navy 

Building is in my blood; my mother's family ran a Midlands building company for ninety-nine years having previously been itinerant craftsmen. I remember with huge affection childhood visits to the 'yard'.

My last employment before I retired was as Chief Executive of Lincoln Cathedral where I learnt something of stone masons and the way medieval cathedrals were built. Most recently, I have been exploring the history of British manufacturing and the places where it took place. This brought me close to the building of mills, factories and urban housing, over a period spanning three centuries or so.

I needed to try to understand how it was all built and indeed who built it.

Visit my Who Built Britain blog