Lewes Priory ruins

Lewes Priory ruins

Nearly a stone’s throw from my house are the ruins of the 11th-Century Priory of St Pancras, destroyed by Thomas Cromwell under Henry VIII in 1537. I have tried to photograph this site in varying light and weather but the resulting images tended to looked more like a pile of stones than the place of great historic significance that it is.

A couple of weeks ago a freezing fog descended on Lewes, covering everything in a fine layer of frost. The air was a white haze that had an eerie, oppressive effect on the world. In this ghostly light the Priory regained some of its haunted mystery as the casualty of political power. More landscape and townscape photographs can be found here.

A glimpse of the future

A glimpse of the future

I love the point at which a new space suddenly makes sense to me when I have been documenting a renovation, and I can get a real feeling for how a building will work when finished. I had that sensation on my latest visit to The Depot Cinema, where I have been photographing for the past 18 months. The front of the building,

with its two walls of glass, came alive to me as I walked in. The winter sun was streaming into this bright new space that will soon house the cinema restaurant. I look forward to thinking back to this moment when I am sitting here having a meal in a few month’s time. More photographs from this project can be found here.

Plasterboard pink vs winter blue

Plasterboard pink vs winter blue

This week’s photo comes from The Depot Cinema in Lewes, where I am documenting the renovations of a former brewery depot as it becomes a community cinema. My clients use the photographs to keep local residents updated on the progress of the project and to build on the excitement of this eagerly awaited venue.

It always surprises me how much colour I come across on a building site. One might expect the predominant shades to be greys, browns and blacks. In fact, I find vivid colours to photograph at every stage of the process. This bubblegum-pink plasterboard is a good example, splashed with sun and offering an appealing contrast to the blue winter afternoon light. More photographs of this project can be found here.

Renovations at Southover Grange, Lewes

Renovations at Southover Grange, Lewes

I came across this stairwell at the very end of my most recent shoot of the renovations at Southover Grange in Lewes. I am documenting the building works of this Tudor manor for the owners, East Sussex County Council, so they can keep local residents up-to-date with the progress. As always with this type of job, I never know what I will find to photograph when I go on site. Sometimes it will be dramatic and obvious and sometimes it will be a subtle detail. I was pleased when I found this one.

I liked the split between the beautifully lit clean white staircase on the right to the bare cracked brick wall on the left, with the slightly incongruous blank window of blue and green panes. Even the ceilings are contrasting: white and ascending towards the light to dark splintered wooden lathes supported by struts. Next time I visit, this split will be unified. It will all be beautifully smoothed over and finished with everything in its place. More photographs from this shoot can be found here.

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‘Designer walls’

‘Designer walls’

This photo of the week is from my most recent shoot at The Depot Cinema in Lewes, where I am documenting the renovation of a former brewery depot as it becomes a community cinema. One of the joys of doing this work is capturing a brief moment in the transitory stages of the development of a building.

This wonderful blue and white abstract pattern is not expensive designer wallpaper. It is merely part of the process of building the walls and will soon be covered with sound-absorbing materials. I particularly like the doorway that hints at further depths of patterned spaces.

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Ancient window

Ancient window

I am back in the saddle again after my summer break. This week’s shot comes from Southover Grange, where I am documenting the renovation of an Elizabethan Manor with a fascinating history, situated in the centre of Lewes. One past incarnation for the building was that of registry office and at the end of this restoration it will rise again as a wonderful wedding venue.

Southover Grange is owned by the East Sussex County Council. They have hired me to document the renovations of this well-loved building, using my photographs to promote the project and keep residents informed about the progress that is being made.

If you have a workplace, building project or event that you are thinking of photographing, please get in touch.

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