Speaker Barrie Birch - The English Town of Richmond

Originally broadcast on BBC2 during August and September 1978, Six English Towns saw Alec Clifton-Taylor cast his experienced eye over the following towns – Chichester, Richmond, Tewkesbury, Stamford, Totnes and Ludlow.

This episode was the one covering the North Yorkshire town of Richmond and focussed on The castle, Easby Abbey, the weird oblisk that replaced the market cross in 1771, Culloden Tower, and the Georgian Theatre and Museum.

Founded by the Normans in 1071 the town grew up around the castle built on the 'riche-mont' or 'strong-hill' that gave the town its name and whose massive keep dominates all other buildings around. It was inside a walled area along with Holy Trinity Church which is todayThe Green Howards Regimental Museum. The parish church St Marys was, however, outside the city walls.

Clifton-Taylor spent a fair amount of time comparing the construction material in many of the buildings - some in limestone, some in sandstone, some a mixture of both and just the Kings Head Hotel in the market place being in brick with even this having dressed stone for its corner pieces. He explained that this was because the clay around there is not very good for making bricks being being hard carbonacious clays which lack the placticity of other younger clays found in the South and East of the country. He also explained the quarrying techniques of the two stones and how sandstone could be sawn whilst limestone was split into blocks out of the quarry without any blasting being involved.

Discussion after the viewing covered the Georgian Theatre which some members had visited. Also the Culloden Tower which at the time of the programme was derelict but which has since been renovated by The Landmark Trust and it is now rented out as a holiday property. In addition John Waterhouse commented that the station which was shown as a Garden Centre in the film is now an Art Gallery and Cafe.

It was suggested that we should organise a trip to Richmond.