Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chingle Hall | 20180103 | Andrew Hurley on the haunting qualities of Chingle Hall, a 17th-century manor house near Preston. 3/5 Andrew describes the disturbing histories of the inhabitants of the hall and the many paranormal experiences of visitors. As repositories of memories and secrets, are buildings themselves sentient things and places of shifting realities? Producer Clare Walker. Andrew Hurley on the haunting qualities of a 17th-century manor house near Preston. | |
| Gladstone's Library | 20180102 | 20200814 (R3) | Novelist Melissa Harrison on the joy of 'sleeping with books' at Gladstone's Library in North Wales, the only residential library in the UK. 2/5 Melissa explains why the building allows her to sink into a state of uninterrupted concentration, allowing a thread of thought to persist not only over hours but days. Producer Clare Walker. Novelist Melissa Harrison on the joy of 'sleeping with books' at Gladstone's Library. |
| Glasgow School Of Art | 20190708 | 20210607 (R3) | Author Louise Welsh reflects on Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art. 1/5 Louise describes her memories of the building before it was ravaged by two fires. This week's Essays are celebrating British architecture. Each writer has a passionate connection with the building featured, revealing how our long past and complex present have led to a built environment unlike anywhere else on the planet. Image courtesy of Alan McAteer Producer: Clare Walker |
| Hafod Eryri | 20180104 | Travel writer Phoebe Smith on Hafod Eryri - the visitor centre on Mount Snowdon's summit. 4/5 Phoebe explains how despite herself, Hafod Eryri has grown on her, and that she has found unexpected joy at being able to drink hot chocolate on top of a mountain. Its presence says something about our chutzpah in putting a building where it doesn't belong. Producer Clare Walker. Travel writer Phoebe Smith on Hafod Eryri and the chutzpah of building on mountains. | |
| Malcolm's Place, Uig, Isle Of Lewis | 20190710 | 20210609 (R3) | Author James Rebanks, the Lake District shepherd, talks about Malcolm's place, Taigh na Trathad (The Beach House) in Uig on the Isle of Lewis. 3/5 James describes how the history and sense of community on Lewis has informed the buildings and that it is 'not the edge of the world', but the centre of another that we have chosen not to see'. This week's Essays are celebrating British architecture. Each writer has a passionate connection with the building featured, revealing how our long past and complex present have led to a built environment unlike anywhere else on the planet. Image courtesy of Alistair MacCallum Producer: Clare Walker Author James Rebanks, the Lake District shepherd, talks about Malcolm's place in Uig. |
| Rame Head Chapel | 20190712 | 20210611 (R3) | The author Natasha Carthew on Rame Head Chapel, near Whitsand Bay, in south east Cornwall. 5/5 Natasha describes how she would write here in the wild as a child and how the chapel symbolised hope. This week's Essays are celebrating British architecture. Each writer has a passionate connection with the building featured, revealing how our long past and complex present have led to a built environment unlike anywhere else on the planet. Image courtesy of Natasha Carthew Producer: Clare Walker Author Natasha Carthew on Rame Head Chapel, near Whitsand Bay, Cornwall. |
| Rochdale Town Hall | 20190709 | 20210608 (R3) | Novelist Beth Underdown on Rochdale Town Hall. 2/5 Beth describes how her family's personal history is tied up with the building and how Hitler reputedly admired it so much that he ordered it spared during the Second World War. This week's Essays are celebrating British architecture. Each writer has a passionate connection with the building featured, revealing how our long past and complex present have led to a built environment unlike anywhere else on the planet. Producer: Clare Walker |
| Trinity Theatre | 20190711 | 20210610 (R3) | The writer Bridget Collins takes us backstage to Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells. 4/5 Bridget reflects on repurposing old buildings and the links between church and theatre. This week's Essays are celebrating British architecture. Each writer has a passionate connection with the building featured, revealing how our long past and complex present have led to a built environment unlike anywhere else on the planet. Producer: Clare Walker |
| Watershed | 20180105 | Nikesh Shukla on Watershed in Bristol and how it helped him fall in love with the city. 5/5 Nikesh edits Rife magazine for young people in the building and explains how the spirit of Watershed is summed up in the community who use the space. 'People are generous with their time, their ideas and their skills. People can be interrupted and can interrupt. Producer Clare Walker. | |
| Wigmore Hall | 20180101 | Pianist Stephen Hough on Wigmore Hall in London and how its 'shoebox' design catches the ear. 1/5 Stephen describes the hall in which he has performed and listened to numerous concerts and how its design ensures 'every sound is beautifully focused. This week's Essays are celebrating British architecture. Each writer has a passionate connection with the building, revealing how our long past and complex present have led to a built environment unlike anywhere else on the planet. Producer Clare Walker Image of Wigmore Hall courtesy of Peter Dazeley. Pianist Stephen Hough on Wigmore Hall and how its 'shoebox' design catches the ear. |