A study of lodging ranges in late Medieval England

• Main Author: Kerr, Sarah
• Published: Queen's University Belfast 2016
• Subjects: 723
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.706995

This thesis examined the architecture of medieval lodging ranges in England. The project aim was to contribute to the knowledge of this building type which had received little attention in recent research, resulting in some stagnation of the subject. The thesis begins with a historical context of lodging ranges introducing key themes of late medieval society. To fully understand the building type, the study focused on the architecture of surviving examples and used this to discuss the form, function and use of lodging ranges, as well as contribute to the understanding of the occupants. The function of lodging ranges was a multi-faceted topic, revealing their complex role in constructing social distance, displaying the hierarchy in the retinue and acting a status indicator of the lord and the individual. Studying the remains of lodging ranges contributed to the understanding of the occupants, and it is clear that their military role had been exaggerated in previous studies, partly as a result of inaccurate interpretation of the buildings. The greatest contributor to the discussion has been the remains of lodging ranges themselves; they contained a wealth of information which revealed how they were used, who lived within and what they meant in medieval society.