We are delighted to share that Soulton Hall heritage consultant James D. Wenn (of the Byrga Geniht consultancy) recently traveled to the University of Cambridge as a keynote speaker for the Annual Postgraduate Conference 2026 at Corpus Christi College.
James D. Wenn, Heritage Expert and Consultant
The event took place in the beautiful surroundings of Leckhampton House, where researchers gathered to discuss new horizons in cultural history.
The Keynote Lecture
James delivered a presentation titled:
“From St Benet’s to St Mary’s: A Learning Perspective Shift in Art and Architectural History”
The lecture explored how the spatial and geometric design codes found within early English architecture connect across centuries.
Tower of St Bene’t’s, Cambridge. Ben Harris. CC BY-SA 2.0
Specifically, James traced these fascinating links through three distinct structures:
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The Saxon St Benet’s in Cambridge, right on the doorstep of Corpus Christi College.
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Our own Tudor manor at Soulton Hall, built using sophisticated, hidden mathematical principles.
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St Mary Abchurch in the City of London, showing the continuation of these ideas into later centuries.
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- Scholarly reconstruction of Soulton Hall in 1560 created Byrga Geniht Ltd
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- St. Mary Abchurch by BYRGA GENIHT: A scholarly reimagining emphasizing the church’s pyramidal roof, 55ft cube design, and “dancing pavement” – features shared with Soulton Hall.
A New Perspective on Material Culture
By looking at the shared geometries of these buildings, the lecture offered a profound shift in how we view the timeline of English art and architecture. Rather than treating these eras as completely separate chapters, the research demonstrates a deep, unbroken thread of intellectual and mathematical learning that connects the ancient Saxon world directly to the Tudor Renaissance and beyond.
The famous Soulton Dancing Pavement
We want to extend our sincere thanks to Corpus Christi College for the invitation to share our ongoing research at Soulton with such an engaged academic community.
Corpus Christi College Cambridge
