THE wonders of the early medieval period, from castles to town walls, from cathedrals to cloisters, are celebrated gloriously in this book.
All the normal suspects are to be found, including Cologne Cathedral and York Minster. Roger Stalley oozes enthusiasm and he offers new perspectives on the importance and place of art and architecture in the world.
And using contemporary sources he reminds us of the similarities between now and then. Economic migration is nothing new and here in the North-East we made great use of it.
In about 670 Benedict Biscop, Abbot of Wearmouth and Jarrow, recruited teams of masons from Gaul while Wilfred of Hexham headhunted his in Rome.
As somebody who is proud of this region, I was surprised at how the likes of magnificent Richmond Castle and the marvellously painted Easby Abbey have been all but ignored, but perhaps we deserve to keep these gems to ourselves.
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