British Isles Oldest Buildings

Building types

A family tree of the buildings of the isles, classified the way a biologist classifies species: each type, from the Neolithic house to the multi-storey car park, spans the years it was built, and the branches show which type grew out of which, which were forms of another, which shaped or replaced others, and which were revived. Every type, date and link cites a published source; disputed descents give both views. Terms follow Historic England's FISH Thesaurus of Monument Types (Open Government Licence).

Hover over or focus a type to bring its links forward (links to types in other domains appear only then); click it to open its page. Click a family to fold it. The time axis gives early millennia less room than recent centuries.