His ideas on architecture propelled the revival of medieval Gothic and influenced the designs of churches everywhere.
His name? Augustus W.N. Pugin.
Pugin’s career was short — he died in 1852 at the age of 40 — but he arguably defined Gothic Revival. At the same time, his conversion from the Anglicanism of the established Church of England to Roman Catholicism, despite Catholic emancipation in 1829, undoubtedly denied him the legacy and honors he was due.
While Pugin is chiefly associated with church architecture his piece de resistance was the Palace of Westminster, which houses the U.K. Parliament and is one of the world’s most famous landmarks.
To discover the master of Gothic Revival I couldn’t think of a better place to visit than Ramsgate in the far southeast of England.
Pugin called this quintessential English seaside town home, having built a small manor house, called The Grange, within the precincts of his other pet project, St. Augustine’s Church.
Yet even here Pugin plays second fiddle to Ramsgate’s famous beaches, though all-inclusive packages, made possible by cheap low-cost airlines, mean many Britons now flock to the beaches of the Iberian Peninsula and other warmer climates. Today, a burgeoning arts scene and the draw of lower home prices, which attract those commuting to London by train, have rejuvenated Ramsgate.
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