The Shaping of London A Political and Economic Perspective 1066-1870

Originally published in 2014, The Shaping of London chronologically examines the likely impact of wars, dynastic struggles, demographic change and economic growth on the physical fabric of London. The book traces the evolution of architectural style in London within the context of politics and economics, it looks at architecture over broad periods from Romanesque to Jacobean, and from Palladian to Victorian. Looking at the changes of London from 1066 to 1870, Balchin argues that London was created through a mixture of kings, merchants, governors and industrialists, which has lent itself to the creation of notable buildings, and public places in London and in turn their spatial dispersal has helped to determine the shape and areal extent of the metropolis.

List of Maps Preface 1. Introduction 2. The Foundations of Medieval London: From Norman to Plantagenet and Beyond; From Romanesque to Gothic 3. Early-Tudor London: From Royal Neglect to a Capital Fit for a King 4. Elizabethan London: The Merchant Developers Take Over 5. Early-Stuart London: Inigo Jones and the Emergence of the Renaissance 6. Later-Stuart London: Wren and the Rebuilding of the Capital 7. London During the Early-Hanoverians; The Ascendance of the Palladian and Neo-Classical Styles 8. Late-Georgian London: From the Elegance of Robert Adam to the Exuberance of Regency 9. Early and Middle-Victorian London: The Formation of a Megalopolis and the Agglomeration of Styles Index

Paul Balchin