Knowledge (XXG)

Charles Reed Peers

Source 📝

29: 490: 414:
preservation of medieval ruins, he has been criticised for the extensive clearance of monastic sites which removed evidence of use and occupation after the medieval period. The clinical presentation of ruins set in lawns with herbaceous borders has also been criticised for removing natural context, and for eliminating the romanticism of overgrown, tumbledown, ivy-clad ruins.
243:
Peers preferred method was to turn a picturesque ruined building into an instructive archaeological site, keeping only those elements that would have been present in the medieval period. First, any necessary structural repairs had to be undertaken, but hidden from view. Undergrowth, ivy and later
413:
By the time of his death, Peers had set a standard for the excavation and public presentation of medieval military and monastic sites which endured for several decades. His work has been reassessed in more recent years. Although he is still praised for his contribution towards the protection and
267:
Rievaulx was taken into the guardianship of the Ministry of Works in 1917. Tons of soil – in places up to 16 feet (4.9 m) deep – were removed using a temporary railway to reveal the medieval ground plan of the site; precariously overhanging masonry was stabilised; and unsteady piers were
248:. The works would be completed by making measured plans, taking photographs, and producing a guidebook, with simple labels distributed around the site. Some of the works authorised by Peers would be very extensive: tons of fallen masonry, earth and "accretions" were removed at 268:
reconstructed with reinforced concrete cores. Post-medieval farm buildings were removed. As Baines remarked in 1922: "in the twelve months which have transpired since the completion of the work, no trace of what has been undertaken is observable".
271:
The work was undertaken at a great pace. There were 89 properties in Britain in state care in 1910; 22 were added in 1913, mostly ruined abbeys and castles; and 400 sites were preserved by Peers's death in 1952.
244:
additions – which he termed "accretions" – were ruthlessly removed. The site would then be fenced, and the ruins surrounded by lawns of mown grass, aided by the relatively recent availability of the mechanised
165:
in 1903, supervising the architects that described and drew plans of the buildings included in the volumes. Peers himself drew the plans and wrote the descriptions for a number of buildings, including
553: 402:
in Oxfordshire in 1924, having inherited the property from Peers' father in 1921. Peers suffered from a long-term illness during the last seven years of his life, and died at a nursing home in
558: 339:
in 1901. He served as secretary of the society from 1908 until 1921, when he became its director; as president from 1929 and 1934; and he was awarded its gold medal in 1938. Peers became a
543: 355: 568: 260:
became associated with the antiseptic presentation of masonry ruins and foundation set in neatly mown lawns, an aesthetic which remains associated with many sites under the care of
194: 284:, which provided compensation for owners of buildings that were compulsorily purchased, required 3 months' notice of works to a scheduled ancient monument, and made scheduling a 573: 201:
and remove it piece by piece to the United States. Peers became Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments after the Act was passed. The 1913 Act consolidated the earlier Acts of
97: 232:, Peers developed a characteristic style of preservation of ruined medieval buildings. They steered a middle course between the minimal protective works espoused by the 292:
took up a suggestion from Peers so local councils could propose buildings for a preservation order (although the powers were only used 20 times between 1932 and 1947).
528: 228:
to take over nationally important monuments and maintain them at public expense. Peers made extensive use of these powers. Assisted by Ministry of Works architect
523: 233: 190: 105:(22 September 1868 – 16 November 1952) was an English architect, archaeologist and preservationist. After a 10-year gap following the death of Lieutenant-General 101: 109:
in 1900, Peers became England's second Inspector of Ancient Monuments from 1910 and was then the first Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments from 1913 to 1933.
340: 89: 563: 296: 162: 538: 533: 548: 221:
to apply for permission before altering or demolishing them. However, churches in ecclesiastical use and private houses were still excluded.
472: 371: 210: 206: 202: 16:
This article is about the 19th/20th-century architect and preservationist. For the 17th/18th-century merchant and Lord Mayor of London, see
50: 383: 257: 398:
Peers married art historian Gertrude Katherine Shepherd on 13 April 1899. They had three sons together. They moved to 18th century
434: 72: 336: 423:
Nicholas Doggett, 'Peers, Sir Charles Reed (1868–1952)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
429: 363: 354:, became a governor of Charterhouse, and was an honorary fellow of King's College, Cambridge. He was a commissioner of the 93: 289: 130: 43: 37: 281: 218: 154: 54: 237: 441:
Approaches to the Archaeological Heritage: A Comparative Study of World Cultural Resource Management Systems
214: 494: 399: 185:
in 1900, Peers was appointed as Pitt Rivers' successor as Inspector of Ancient Monuments in 1910, in the
225: 145: 489: 518: 513: 320: 316: 182: 166: 106: 324: 122: 285: 198: 468: 407: 387: 351: 152:
in Egypt in 1896, and then returned to England to practise as an architect. He was editor of
446: 440: 375: 347: 304: 261: 236:, and the extensive restoration and reconstruction undertaken at French historical sites by 452:
Westminster Abbey Muniment Room, London - files about his work at the Abbey and elsewhere.
359: 186: 170: 367: 253: 507: 379: 308: 149: 133:
from 1887 to 1891, graduating in the second class and then continuing his studies in
17: 300: 249: 229: 498: 424: 447:
Politics and Preservation: A Policy History of the Built Heritage, 1882–1996
312: 245: 118: 465:
Surveyors of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey 1906–1973. Reports and letters
161:
After visiting Egypt again in 1902, he became architectural editor of the
403: 126: 382:
from 1933 to 1952. He was elected President of the first session of the
134: 121:
in Kent, the eldest son of an Anglican clergyman. He was educated at
197:, spurred by the possibility that American investors would dismantle 138: 181:
After a gap of 10 years following the death of Lieutenant General
144:
From 1893 to 1896 he worked as a pupil architect in the office of
323:, sat on the Oxford diocesan committee, and carried out work for 224:
The 1913 Act also permitted the Ancient Monuments Board to issue
22: 356:
Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England
311:
to prevent it slipping off its rocky crag. He was also
307:. He was architect-in-charge of the works to underpin 280:
Peers retired in 1933, soon after the enactment of the
195:
Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913
217:, and it was also the first to require the owners of 554:
Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects
435:
The birth of heritage and the fabrication of history
193:'s attempt to pass the legislation that became the 559:Presidents of the Society of Antiquaries of London 384:Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences 544:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 410:, his ashes were interred in its Islip Chapel. 234:Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings 569:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 8: 341:Commander of the Order of the British Empire 574:Contributors to the Victoria County History 390:during its second session in Oslo in 1936. 163:Victoria History of the Counties of England 73:Learn how and when to remove this message 148:. He spent a season with archaeologist 36:This article includes a list of general 524:People educated at Charterhouse School 467:. Boydell & Brewer. p. 415. 372:Royal Institute of British Architects 370:in 1933. He was also a Fellow of the 358:from 1921 and became a Fellow of the 346:He received honorary doctorates from 7: 362:in 1926. He became a trustee of the 189:. Peers was a leading supporter of 529:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge 343:in 1924, and was knighted in 1931. 299:in 1935, and held similar posts at 564:Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal 437:, Gresham College, 22 October 2009 290:Town and Country Planning Act 1932 256:. Sites under the control of the 42:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 378:in 1933. He was Antiquary to the 539:English architectural historians 488: 27: 534:20th-century English architects 213:. The 1913 Act established an 549:Fellows of the British Academy 406:. After a funeral service at 366:in 1930, and a trustee of the 319:, an architectural advisor at 177:Inspector of Ancient Monuments 1: 335:Peers became a Fellow of the 297:surveyor to Westminster Abbey 388:Knight Commander of St Olav 219:scheduled ancient monuments 590: 449:, John Delafons p. 31 443:, Henry Cleere, p. 55 282:Ancient Monuments Act 1931 155:The Archaeological Journal 15: 131:King's College, Cambridge 264:nearly a century later. 430:NPG portrait by Bassano 215:Ancient Monuments Board 57:more precise citations. 425:accessed 19 March 2013 386:in 1932, and became a 337:Society of Antiquaries 86:Sir Charles Reed Peers 463:Reynolds, C. (2019). 238:Eugène Viollet-le-Duc 146:Thomas Graham Jackson 321:Winchester Cathedral 317:Canterbury Cathedral 183:Augustus Pitt Rivers 167:Winchester Cathedral 150:George Somers Clarke 107:Augustus Pitt Rivers 400:Chiselhampton House 374:, and received its 325:New College, Oxford 226:preservation orders 158:from 1900 to 1903. 123:Charterhouse School 495:Charles Reed Peers 493:Works by or about 199:Tattershall Castle 117:Peers was born in 474:978-1-78327-420-8 408:Westminster Abbey 352:London University 258:Ministry of Works 83: 82: 75: 581: 492: 478: 348:Leeds University 305:Durham Cathedral 262:English Heritage 104: 78: 71: 67: 64: 58: 53:this article by 44:inline citations 31: 30: 23: 589: 588: 584: 583: 582: 580: 579: 578: 504: 503: 485: 475: 462: 459: 457:Further reading 420: 396: 360:British Academy 333: 278: 187:Office of Works 179: 171:St Albans Abbey 115: 88: 79: 68: 62: 59: 49:Please help to 48: 32: 28: 21: 12: 11: 5: 587: 585: 577: 576: 571: 566: 561: 556: 551: 546: 541: 536: 531: 526: 521: 516: 506: 505: 502: 501: 484: 483:External links 481: 480: 479: 473: 458: 455: 454: 453: 450: 444: 438: 432: 427: 419: 416: 395: 392: 368:British Museum 332: 329: 277: 274: 254:Rievaulx Abbey 178: 175: 114: 111: 81: 80: 35: 33: 26: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 586: 575: 572: 570: 567: 565: 562: 560: 557: 555: 552: 550: 547: 545: 542: 540: 537: 535: 532: 530: 527: 525: 522: 520: 517: 515: 512: 511: 509: 500: 496: 491: 487: 486: 482: 476: 470: 466: 461: 460: 456: 451: 448: 445: 442: 439: 436: 433: 431: 428: 426: 422: 421: 417: 415: 411: 409: 405: 401: 393: 391: 389: 385: 381: 380:Royal Academy 377: 373: 369: 365: 364:London Museum 361: 357: 353: 349: 344: 342: 338: 330: 328: 326: 322: 318: 314: 310: 309:Durham Castle 306: 302: 298: 293: 291: 287: 283: 275: 273: 269: 265: 263: 259: 255: 251: 247: 241: 239: 235: 231: 227: 222: 220: 216: 212: 208: 204: 200: 196: 192: 188: 184: 176: 174: 172: 168: 164: 159: 157: 156: 151: 147: 142: 140: 136: 132: 128: 124: 120: 112: 110: 108: 103: 99: 95: 91: 87: 77: 74: 66: 56: 52: 46: 45: 39: 34: 25: 24: 19: 18:Charles Peers 464: 412: 397: 394:Private life 345: 334: 301:York Minster 294: 279: 270: 266: 250:Byland Abbey 242: 230:Frank Baines 223: 180: 160: 153: 143: 125:and studied 116: 85: 84: 69: 60: 41: 519:1952 deaths 514:1868 births 286:Land Charge 191:Lord Curzon 55:introducing 508:Categories 499:Wikisource 418:References 376:gold medal 295:He became 276:Later life 113:Early life 38:references 313:Seneschal 246:lawnmower 119:Westerham 404:Coulsdon 127:classics 63:May 2015 331:Honours 288:. The 135:Dresden 51:improve 471:  139:Berlin 40:, but 100: 98:FRIBA 96: 92: 469:ISBN 350:and 303:and 252:and 211:1910 209:and 207:1900 203:1882 169:and 137:and 497:at 315:of 129:at 102:FSA 94:FBA 90:CBE 510:: 327:. 240:. 205:, 173:. 141:. 477:. 76:) 70:( 65:) 61:( 47:. 20:.

Index

Charles Peers
references
inline citations
improve
introducing
Learn how and when to remove this message
CBE
FBA
FRIBA
FSA
Augustus Pitt Rivers
Westerham
Charterhouse School
classics
King's College, Cambridge
Dresden
Berlin
Thomas Graham Jackson
George Somers Clarke
The Archaeological Journal
Victoria History of the Counties of England
Winchester Cathedral
St Albans Abbey
Augustus Pitt Rivers
Office of Works
Lord Curzon
Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913
Tattershall Castle
1882
1900

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.