CONTEXT 189 : SEPTEMBER 2026 51 story, well told by Pat Hughes, is an important one, and the book is an exemplar for other communities who cherish their historic churches. Peter de Figueiredo, reviews editor of Context Alcohol-free buildings The Built Heritage of the Temperance Movement: the way out of darkest England Andrew Davison, Liverpool University Press on behalf of Historic England, 2026, 268 pages, fully illustrated, hardback, ISBN 978-1-83624-583-4, £40 One can’t help but raise a glass to Andrew Davison for publishing his fascinating in-depth study of the impact on our built heritage of deliberately avoiding the consumption of alcohol. While the Temperance movement as a social phenomenon has been reasonably well documented, its eclectic and sometimes architecturally impressive built legacy has been much less written about. This well-illustrated, clearly structured and far from dry book provides an excellent reference framework for architectural, social and local historians, heritage practitioners and teetotallers in search of their roots. It sets out a brief history of the movement, which gained huge traction in the Victorian era and the early 20th century, but focuses largely on its architectural legacy. For many in the movement there was a strong element of religious faith, but it went so much broader than that. Davison is very well placed to guide us through the wide range of Temperance building types. He is an archaeologist by training, an inspector of ancient buildings by profession, and an expert on brewing and the development of the public house. He well understands the temptations of the tavern and the temples to drink that alcohol encouraged, and this context is very important to understanding Temperance. He treats alcohol-free buildings with the same impressive level of detail as his earlier co-authored book on pubs: Licensed to Sell: the history and heritage of the public house. Temperance rooms, halls, institutes and reading rooms are explored inside and out in considerable detail before moving on to hotels, coffee houses, Temperance taverns, missions and health care-buildings. Davison explains how drinking fountains became important and practical street furniture which brought clean water to all who passed by, but which also acted as advertisements for the virtues of abstinence, especially when they were prominent landmarks in public parks and urban streets. The Temperance movement also sought to encourage clean living through healthy sport, billiards halls and other leisure activities. Temperance gravestones marked the lives of those who had avoided ‘the bondage and ruin of drinking intoxicating liquors’. The excellent illustrations, largely recent photos of all the various building types with plenty of close-ups of architectural detailing, also include reproductions of contemporary engravings, advertisements and early photographs. This is an invaluable reference book for those seeking to assess the relative significance and rarity of a particular building. The revelation of this book for me was the sheer breadth of building types that the Temperance movement gave rise to. There was no universal architectural style marking Temperance buildings, although given the movement’s strong Christian foundations, it is no surprise that a simple gothic style was commonly adopted. Temperance buildings are particularly vulnerable to change because many were built with modest budgets, they were simple in style with few stand-out architectural features, and they had a relatively short period of time in their original use. This highly recommended book goes a long way in rectifying that gap in knowledge and gives us a valuable framework to better protect Temperance buildings in the future. Duncan McCallum, heritage professional and chair of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Golden rules Plastering: a practical guide to traditional and decorative techniques Philip A Gaches, The Crowood Press, 2025, 112 pages, 172 illustrations, ISBN 978-07198-4357-6, paperback, £16.99 Philip Gaches joined his father’s plastering business in the 1970s and has since established himself as one of the leading figures in the restoration of historic plasterwork. He has earned a reputation as a master craftsman whose name has become synonymous with traditional plastering, and few are as qualified to write a practical guide. Structured across nine chapters, Plastering opens with an overview of British decorative plasterwork to set the context. Gaches charts the evolution of materials and techniques from the in-situ handmade mouldings of the early English period, through the refined gypsum finishes of the Georgian era, and into the widespread use of prefabricated fibrous plaster from the mid-19th century onwards. A recurring theme throughout the book is the responsibility we have
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