May 21, 2025

Deep dive index

The deep dive emails explore a single building. Who built it, and why? How did people respond to it? What does the future hold for it?

My most recent deep dive is normally behind a paywall. This is to help me cover my costs. You can upgrade (£3 a month) to read the latest post and to get early access to future deep dives.

The Amulet, Shepton Mallet (1975) • Buttondown

In 1971, Shepton Mallet's town centre was dying. One man, with a vision and a fawn, stepped in to rebuild it. And in the process created one of the most unique 1970s buildings in the country. I take a deep dive into the Babysham brutalist-inspired Amulet.

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Free to read

These deep dives have now had the paywall lifted so the information and research is in the public domain.

Lys Kernow (New County Hall), Truro (1966) • Buttondown

A very Cornish brutalism sits just outside Truro. I take a look at the ambitious work of a County Architect who had a vision of the future.

Burgh Island Hotel, Bigbury-on-Sea (1929) • Buttondown

The story of Burgh Island Hotel is the story of Art Deco itself. Then I started to dig, and discovered something that didn't fit.

Civic Hall, Totnes (1960) • Buttondown

Exploring the history of G A Jellicoe's Civic Hall for Totnes. Includes a fire, post-punks and pilotis

Rennes House, Exeter (1968) • Buttondown

“We used to call it the Mary Mungo and Midge flats.” Taking a look at Rennes House, Exeter’s only council high rise tower block. It’s coming down in 2025, nearly sixty years after it went up.

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A journey around modernist buildings in the West Country.