Victorian Gothic Architecture

The Romans developed the arch shape on the buildings and this was known as the origin of gothic architecture. The Greeks came up with the horizontal lintels and columns to form structures. In the creation if churches and castles Saxon and Norman Masons used small arches rather than a few larger ones. These structures also consisted of very thick walls pierced by tiny arches. At the time this did not look very elegant as Gothic structures were known to be. However, it matched the stone work in the walls.

Gothic Architecture is often has pointed arched characteristics. It is commonly associated with medieval churches, cathedrals and it is during the nineteenth century that the revival of the gothic architecture took place. The Gothic revival begins from the early eighteenth century to the late nineteenth century. This was one of the sources of the origins of gothic horror. This came about from the formations of the buildings. This style had become the appropriate style of Gothic architecture and people started finding it pleasing. The main characteristics of Gothic buildings included that of the use of ornaments on windows.

As in this era castles were relatively common, the theatrical vision of gothic castles was developed. This can be often seen in Dracula and in the castle of Otranto. These two books portray the devilish gothic castles as this was the origin o gothic horror. These castles could be seen as, "The Sublime." This means that they look harmonious and beautiful from a distance. This could be because as you go close you could really see the horror in them. For example, in Dracula Jonathan Harker liked the the first appearance of castle Dracula. However, as he got closer and into it he thought there was something not quite right about it. In gothic horror fiction stories castles are seen as a character of history. 

Castles in England were anciently built for defence purposes. Edward 1 built a series of castles after marking territory on England. This was to signify his presence. One of the most popular castles in England of the time, was the Strawberry Hill castle. It was designed by Horace Walpole. It is commonly referred to as the Gothic Revival villa. There are many other castles that have been built around the world. The Rheinstein Castle in Germany was re-built during the 19th century. This was done during the romantic period of the time. 

Ref:
Yorke, Trevor, 2012. Victorian Gothic House Styles. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books

Stamp Gavin & Amery Colin, 1980.Victorian Buildings of London 1837-1887. London, The Architectural Press Ltd

Aldrich M, 1997. Gothic Revival. Phaidon, London

Victoria & Albert Museum, Gothic Architecture [viewed 2nd February 2016] Available from: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/g/gothic-architecture/