How are Lyveden New Build, Rushton Triangular Lodge, and Thomas Tresham linked to Soulton and Old Sir Rowland?
Lyveden New Build and Rushton Triangular Lodge are two intriguing Elizabethan architectural anomalies, both linked to the enigmatic figure of Thomas Tresham. These buildings, with their unusual designs and symbolism, have long been held to contain codes.
Lyveden is a remarkable survivor of the Elizabethan age. Begun by Sir Thomas Tresham to symbolise his Catholic faith, it was never finished. It is accepted to frieght meanings in codes, as Soulton does.
Lyveden New Build is located in Northamptonshire, England, Lyveden New Build is an unfinished hunting lodge with a unique octagonal plan. Its construction began in the late 16th century but was abruptly abandoned upon Tresham’s imprisonment in 1601. The building’s intricate stonework features geometric patterns, symbols, and cryptic inscriptions.
Rushton Triangular Lodge: This delightful triangular building was designed by Sir Thomas Tresham (father of one of the Gunpowder Plotters) and constructed between 1593 and 1597. It is a testament to Tresham’s Roman Catholicism: the number three, symbolising the Holy Trinity, is apparent everywhere.
Rushton Triangular Lodge Situated in Northamptonshire, this triangular lodge, also attributed to Tresham, was completed in 1594. Its triangular form and the presence of astrological symbols also confirms engagement with coded messages.
Thomas Tresham
Thomas Tresham was a Catholic recusant who refused to convert to Protestantism under Queen Elizabeth I, Tresham was a complex figure. He was imprisoned several times for his beliefs and may have been involved in plots against the crown.
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Many scholars have held out that his architectural projects served not just as residences but also as a way to express his religious and political views in a coded form.
It is correct to take this view, moreover, the mathematics and messages involved were used by Sir Rowland Hill at Soulton for the reasons set out in this lecture, by James D. Wenn of BYRGA GENIHT.
Soulton Hal thus holds a unique position within the realm coded buildings. Unlike Lyveden New Build and Rushton Triangular Lodge, with their overt symbolism and clear connections to a figure known for coded messages (Thomas Tresham), Soulton Hall’s code is more subtle and shrouded in history.
