Brian Kerr
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jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
Brian Kerr
@jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
810 followers 1.1K following 220 posts
Hiberno-Scottish Glaswegian in Surrey. Archaeologist, medieval & post-medieval, buildings, with a niche specialism in the salvage of recently-burnt royal palaces. Formerly at English Heritage and Historic England. He/him
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jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #IronworkThursday, the stunning 13th-century oak cope cupboard at Chester Cathedral. The doors are covered in elaborate iron foliate scrollwork.
Cope cupboard in the Chapter House of Chester Cathedral, an oak cupboard of 13th-century date with elaborate ironwork on the doors. Detail of the elaborate iron foliate scrollwork on the doors of the 13th-century oak cope cupboard, Chester Cathedral.
October 23, 2025 at 1:49 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #IronworkThursday, here’s the elegant South Portland Street suspension footbridge which connects Glasgow city centre to the suburb of Laurieston. Built 1851-3, designed by Alexander Kirkland (architect) and George Martin (engineer). Altered/repaired in 1871 and 1926.
Overall view of the suspension bridge taken from the south bank of the Clyde towards Glasgow city centre. The bridge is formed by two massive sandstone pylons which support the iron suspension bridge structure. View of the southern bridge pylon showing the massive iron chain anchors that balance the weight of the bridge.
October 16, 2025 at 5:49 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #ironworkthursday, here’s the elaborate fountain in the centre of Dumfries, cast by the Sun Foundry in Glasgow in 1882 and restored in 2023 after a lively campaign. Congratulations to all concerned for this marvellous project.
The Sun Foundry fountain in the centre of Dumfries, cast and installed in 1882 and restored in 2021-3 after a strong and engaging local campaign. Three stacked black-painted iron basins, decreasing in size towards the top, over the large masonry basin at its base. Figures are picked out in gold leaf, with putti holding open the mouths of crocodiles from which the water pours into the lowest basin. The upper tiers are supported by gilded fish. Four iron urns with gilded water plants rise from pedestals built into the edge of the masonry basin.
October 9, 2025 at 12:23 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #IronworkThursday, here are the main gates of Glasgow Central Station, from 1874. Restored in recent years, and given back their green and gold colour scheme.
The iron gates of Glasgow Central Railway Station, viewed from just inside the entrance. Elaborately decorated with cast- and wrought-iron elements, painted green with elements highlighted in gold.
October 2, 2025 at 9:43 AM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
Returning after a gap to #ironworkthursday, here are some lovely 17th-century firebacks from last weekend’s visit to Penshurst Place. Descriptions are in ALT text.
Three cast-iron firebacks. The two large ones are the same design, showing the broad arrow emblem of the Sidney family, both dated 1647. The smaller one is more elaborate, with an indistinct inscription around the central circular design. A very worn but elaborate fireback, featuring a central bearded feature holding a large hammer (?Vulcan) with a selection of ironwork tools to the left and a shelf bearing drinking vessels to the right. It has a worn inscription, and bears the date 16?? All suggestions about the interpretation welcome!
September 18, 2025 at 3:32 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
Flying visit to East Sussex yesterday to drop Inspector Sidell off at an excavation at Bodiam, followed by a chance to commune with the ghosts of excavations past at Battle Abbey.
Bodiam Castle with its reflection in the moat. The heavily-buttressed gable wall of the Dormitory at Battle Abbey The beautiful high vault at the southern end of the Dormitory, Battle Abbey A distant view of Inspector Sidell in her trench just outside Bodiam Castle.
August 16, 2025 at 11:34 AM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
A few minutes too late for #IronworkThursday, but here’s a highlight of Glasgow Neceopolis, the striking Egyptian Vaults of 1837, designed by David and James Hamilton and beautifully restored by the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis.
The Egyptian Vaults of 1837, Glasgow Necropolis. The structure was used for the temporary storage of bodies while tombs were being prepared, or mausolea built. I love the extinguished torch motif on the restored iron gate.
July 10, 2025 at 11:13 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #ironworkthursday here are my favourite gates, at the entrance to the Glasgow Necropolis. Designed by David Hamilton and cast by Thomas Edington’s Phoenix Foundry, 1838. Conserved and gilded in 2011 - see www.glasgownecropolis.org/main-entranc... for more information.
One of the gates of Glasgow Necropolis, conserved, painted, and gilded in 2011, and still looking lovely. Designed by the architect David Hamilton. The mark of Thomas Edington’s Phoenix Ironworks, nicely picked out by gilding.
July 3, 2025 at 7:15 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #ironworkthursday, here’s a rather nice cast-iron plaque on no 83 High Street, Steyning, bearing the date 1710. The building is listed, grade II.
Iron plaque high on the front of a house in Steyning, West Sussex. It bears the date 1710.
June 26, 2025 at 9:38 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
As a late entry for #ironworkthursday, here’s a gate manufactured by A & J Main & Co of Glasgow, now blocked by an old coppiced sweet chestnut tree that is starting to absorb it. This is in the hills near Haslemere, in part of what was the Witley Park estate.
An elaborate iron gate showing the foundry mark of A&J Main of Glasgow on the right-hand gatepost. The gate is on the edge of an area of active sweet chestnut coppice, and the gate is now blocked by an old coppiced tree, the trunks of which are growing around the top of the gate.
June 19, 2025 at 10:26 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
The purpose of yesterday’s trip to Wemyss Bay was to catch a ferry to Bute so that I could revisit the amazing Rothesay Castle. This makes an excellent and cost-effective day-trip from Glasgow, using Scotrail and CalMac. If you get the chance, do it.
A view of the main entrance to Rothesay Castle. The original gate was massively extended outwards in the 15th-16th century to create a fine new suite of accommodation. The use of red sandstone marks the 19th century restoration work by that inveterate castle rebuilder the 3rd Marquess of Bute. A view of the interior of Rothesay Castle from the gatehouse. The surviving building had a chapel on its first floor, the altar end marked by pairs of large traceried windows in the north and south walls. The west end of the building is missing. A view of the Gatehouse, the circular enclosure wall of c. 1200, and the surviving circular mural tower added in the 13th century. The castle is surrounded by a wet moat. A particularly exciting feature is that the curtain wall was heightened in the 15th-16th century when the Gatehouse was rebuilt and extended. This has preserved the original crenellations, with the crenels infilled using a darker stone rubble contrasting with the lighter ashlar masonry of the earlier curtain wall.
May 2, 2025 at 8:16 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
Wemyss Bay railway station is famous, but nothing prepares you for the magnificence of its cast-iron interior. Doon the watter in #IronworkThursday style for a trip to Rothesay.
Wemyss Bay Station, the gentle curves of the platform roofs. Wemyss Bay Station, the central rotunda with its cast-iron glazed vault. Wemyss Bay Station, the curving covered walkway to the ferry terminal.
May 1, 2025 at 10:53 AM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #IronworkThursday, I was very taken with these protective cast-iron grilled on pavement-level windows in Hope Street, Glasgow.
Decorative cast-iron grilles fitted to protect pavement-level windows in Glasgow.
May 1, 2025 at 7:26 AM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
For #ironworkthursday, here is the well-maintained iron enclosure around the tomb of the noted political writer and MP William Cobbett (1762-1835) in Farnham churchyard.
The grave of William Cobbett in Farnham. The large free-standing chest tomb, in ?greensand with a granite inscription slab, stands on a substantial rectangular plinth, around the edge of which is set iron railings with decorated corner posts. The ironwork is in excellent condition and has been painted in a blue-green colour.
April 17, 2025 at 12:03 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
And here is the re-excavation of that original gatehouse, carried out my my former colleague Tony Wilmott in March 2020. These photos were taken hours before Lockdown.
Re-excavation of the Claudian gate at Richborough in March 2020 by Historic England archaeologists. An oblique view of the cleaned trench with the original post-holes excavated, and with an unexcavated later Roman pit. The walls of the later Roman Fort are in the background. General view of the re-excavation of the Claudian gate at Richborough on 23rd March 2020. On a cloudless Spring day archaeologists are cleaning up the trench for photography, with the excavation director waiting patiently on top of a Landrover, ready to take the record photographs. The walls of the later Roman fort are in the background.
March 27, 2025 at 9:25 AM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
I spoke too soon. I searched again under one of my aliases.
A search of the LibGen data shows that one of my old papers has been nicked for AI training purposes. The paper is called “Windsor Castle: Photogrammetric and Archaeological Recording After The Fire”, by Dallas, Kerr, Lunnon, and Bryan.
March 25, 2025 at 5:39 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
I searched my name, but all I got was my namesake who writes about pig farts.
A screen-grab of a search of ArchLib articles using my name, which came up with a different Brian Kerr who writes about pig odours, among other things.
March 22, 2025 at 10:44 AM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
A good long walk on a glorious late afternoon at Hindhead, where @nationaltrust.bsky.social have been doing good work in maintaining views and clearing scrub to restore heathland.
A path on a heathland ridge at Hindhead, Surrey, on a sunny late afternoon, with clear blue sky and the golden remains of last year’s bracken The view from Hindhead, looking down a wooded valley with the dark mass of Blackdown beyond, and the roofscape of Haslemere just visible through the trees. A recently-restored area of heathland at Hindhead; all trees and scrub have been cleared from the side of a valley, leaving larger trees and a slope that will be covered in heather, grasses, bracken and bilberry, grazed by Exmoor ponies to maintain the heath. The edge of restored heathland, where the bare brown hillside meets a dense dark line of silver birch scrub.
March 5, 2025 at 8:42 AM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
A good sunny morning for a visit to #RHSWisley in search of portents of Spring. Less welcome were signs of rock cake shrinkflation.
Snowdrops in flower at Wisley this morning. Dwarf iris at RHS gardens Wisley today. Daffodils at RHS Wisley A shrunken rock-cake bought at RHS Garden Wisley. Scale in cm.
February 2, 2025 at 3:48 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
Still looking good this morning in the sunshine. #RHSWisley
Yellow Hamamelis in sunshine in the woods at RHS gardens Wisley, with snowdrops.
February 2, 2025 at 3:42 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
What about the countdown to “Vesting Day”? This from the Reception area at Fort Cumberland.
The countdown to the creation of Historic England from within the old English Heritage in 2015 - 49 days to go The countdown near its end: Historic England sprang into being on 1st April 2015.
January 30, 2025 at 1:55 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
Lots of demolition material and house contents were dumped in the 17th century cellar. All of the large-scale plasterwork was found to the E of the tower, whereas smaller mouldings from the upper-floor chambers were found to the W, thrown out of the large window in the W wall at 2nd-floor level.
The 17th-century cellar as excavated. It had been backfilled with building material from the partial demolition of the tower in 1740-50, along with a large clearance assemblage of pottery, glassware, and ironwork representing the unwanted contents of the tower and other buildings at the time of demolition. Plasterwork fragments found at Cathcart. The larger strapwork mouldings (44, 45) and most of the decorative elements from the first-floor hall were found to the east of the tower, used (along with stone rubble, pottery, and glassware) to backfill the small 17th-century cellar. The smaller cornice mouldings from the second-floor chambers (typified by no 53) were found on the west side of the tower, jettisoned from a large window opening at 2nd floor level in the west wall of the tower. Illustrated decorative elements include scrollwork (52), a lion face (55), a vine leaf (47), and a rosette (50).
January 27, 2025 at 5:18 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
There is evidence for a later structure built against the face of the tower, a 17th-century range built around the SE corner of the tower incorporating a cellar built into the ditch, which was backfilled around it. This building left the prominent roof-scar visible in the old photo that you used.
Interpretative plan of the 17th-century alterations to Cathcart Castle. A new range was built running east from the SE corner of the tower, incorporating a cellar built into the ditch, which was then backfilled. The barmkin walls to the east, north, and west were dismantled. The interior of the tower was remodelled in brick with new plaster decoration in c. 1630, and the range may have been added then or soon after. Plaster shield found in excavation, showing the arms of (left) Bryce Semple of Cathcart, and (right) his wife Jean Lauder of Haltoun. Bryce came into possession of Cathcart in 1627, and the plasterwork dates to c. 1630. This was probably part of an elaborate decorative panel over the Hall fireplace inside the tower; other plasterwork shows that there was a strapwork ceiling with a variety of decorative elements within the panels. The interior of the tower interior walls were remodelled in brick as part of this work, an early dated use of this material in Scotland. Splashes of green glaze on some of the excavated bricks suggest that they were made at a pottery kiln site.
January 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
There is no evidence for an external wooden stair. The opening was for a window, enlarged by the removal of an armorial panel (see the more elaborate moulding around the top of the enlarged opening in the old photo). There was a straight stone stair from the ground-floor door to Hall level.
Plan of the excavation areas at Cathcart, 1980-1, showing the excavated evidence for the ditch to the East of the tower and barmkin, and the excavated evidence for the North and West sides of the barmkin.
January 27, 2025 at 4:18 PM
jamesbriankerr.bsky.social
Hullo again, we've discussed this before on what used to be Twitter. Here's a draft reconstruction drawing that we produced during the analysis phase of our excavation of the tower site (1980-1) that we produced in c. 1985.
Reconstruction of Cathcart Castle as it might have appeared when first built in c. 1450 (drawn by L Boag in c. 1985) based on the analysis of the excavation and on images of the tower prior to its demolition in 1980. The turreted barmkin enclosure was built tightly around the tower, with a massive rock-cut ditch in front of it. This shows a building to the W (rear) of the tower, but we later interpreted this as a garden enclosure. The base of the mid 15th-century SW barmkin corner turret (as excavated), with the inner face of the rock-cut ditch to its right. This turret was preserved within the cellar of a 17th-century range built across the line of the ditch. The ditch was backfilled as part of the construction of this range.
January 27, 2025 at 4:07 PM