Do you see the faces, do you hear the faint knock,

of the lives of our forebears carved into the rock?

Can you sense the elation, the chiselled filtration

of blood coursing through the vermiculation?

Through texture and pattern, the pulse and the rhyme

our streets and our places tell stories through time.

Like teasels in winter these buildings snag traces:

the loves and the fears of our Johns and our Graces.

In five hundred years will they see our charades

when they look upon streets full of glass facades?


Bristol

I've rarely seen such diverse and delightful decoration in a city as I have in Bristol, and that includes some of the concrete patterned Brutalist buildings. In Bristol there are tens of thousands of carvings - little architectural emojis, shedding light on their originators intent. On top of that, there are patterns sourced from every corner of the earth. This rich architectural compost helps inform us of the people that went before us, and contributes to a feeling of 'rootedness' that is hard to define. Heads up when you visit Bristol - there's stories within those walls....

Bristol

I've rarely seen such diverse and delightful decoration in a city as I have in Bristol, and that includes some of the concrete patterned Brutalist buildings. In Bristol there are tens of thousands of carvings - little architectural emojis, shedding light on their originators intent. On top of that, there are patterns sourced from every corner of the earth. This rich architectural compost helps inform us of the people that went before us, and contributes to a feeling of 'rootedness' that is hard to define. Heads up when you visit Bristol - there's stories within those walls....

Andy Marshall

is an architectural and interiors photographer based in the UK.

I put my heart and soul

into sharing my experiences of the buildings and places I visit. If you like what you see, it would warm the cockles of my heart if you might consider subscribing below, to accompany me on my travels, and get first sight of new content as soon as it is published. It can get a bit lonely out there...