Peterscourt, Peterborough

click photo to enlarge

As I've said elsewhere in this blog much of my photography is incidental. By that I mean the subjects that I photograph are the ones that present themselves to me as I go about my immediate locality and the wider world. So, when I set off on a pleasurable walk somewhere I take my camera and usually return home with some shots. If I go to explore a village, town or city my camera is pointed at anything that looks to be a suitable subject. It is unusual for me not to carry a camera when I'm out and about, and consequently the majority of the images in this blog were taken almost as a by-product of another activity.

However, every now and then I set my mind to photographing a specific subject. Or I shoot a subject and make a mental note to do so again in better or different light, weather or season. Today's photograph is an example of the latter. I've photographed Peterscourt before but only ever produced one shot (in September of this year) that I thought worthy of posting. It's a large brick building in Peterborough dating from 1856-64, the work of the eminent Victorian architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott. Peterscourt isn't a spectacular building, nor is it sufficiently feted to appear in many books about architectural history. Rather, it's one of those quietly competent,visually interesting, well-made buildings that can be found in most cities and which in their own undemonstrative way, grace our streets and make our passage through them a pleasanter experience.

I've struggled in the past to get a shot that shows the whole of the building. Parked vehicles, roadworks, the position of the sun and much else has conspired to get in the way. But, on a recent visit to Peterborough to do some Christmas shopping I took this shot in more favourable circumstances. It shows the asymmetrical nature of Peterscourt, the prominence given to the chimneys and dormers, the unassuming and functionally positioned main entrance and the dark brick detailing. Anyone interested in English architectural history will have noted the awkwardness of the white painted Georgian doorway within the Gothic, pointed arch of the entrance. Scott did not design the building this way. The doorcase was brought to the city from the London Guildhall when it was damaged during the second world war. Its prominent placement here detracts from Scott's overall conception but at least conserves an interesting piece of history.

photograph and text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Canon
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 45mm
F No: f7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/160
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation:  -0.33 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

Peterborough, Peterscourt and bricks

click photo to enlarge

Approach Peterborough from almost any direction and you can see its position from miles away. It isn't the cathedral that looms over the centre that catches your eye, nor is it some gleaming tower broadcasting the city to the wider world - the modern buildings in Peterborough aren't too tall. Rather, it's the cluster of chimneys of the brickworks, each with its plume of smoke trailing downwind that marks the settlement. There are fewer chimneys today than in the past but sufficient to make the city unique.

Brick-making in Peterborough is based on the local clay and became a major industry with the building of the railways. In the nineteenth century it was a fairly local undertaking, but from around 1890, with the exploiting of the Fletton clay that is suitable for making harder bricks, output soared. In the twentieth century the Peterborough area was the dominant brick-producing locality in Britain.

The other day, when I visited the city to do a little shopping and photography, I passed the building known as Peterscourt. This brick building with stone detailing is on City Road. It was built in 1856-64 by the prolific architect, Sir G. G. Scott, as a teacher training college for men. It subsequently became council offices, and is today the Eco Innovation Centre. It's a building I've wanted to photograph for a while with its long facade with ranks of tall chimneys. The clear, lowish September sun and sharp shadows of the day of my visit were perfect for architectural photography. Unfortunately, however, parked cars and sundry roadworks and street furniture prevented me getting the image I wanted. But, as I passed the end of the building, I noticed this wall with its doorway and window raked by the light. The sharpness conferred by the side illumination combined with the cleaned brickwork and painted stonework gave me something of a feeling for what Scott's building must have looked like when it was first built. I don't know if it uses Peterborough bricks, though it surely must. What I do know is it is a fine testament to the architect's handling of the material and a credit to the city that the building remains in use and in good repair.

photograph and text (c) T. Boughen

Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 40mm
F No: f6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/200
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation:  -0.33 EV
Image Stabilisation: On