The youth hostels at Maeshafn and Holmbury St Mary had proved too expensive for the new YHA, and its executive committee determined it would lease or buy property rather than build from scratch. The experience and expense did not end architect-designed, purpose-built hostels, not for a few years anyway. But those that followed haven't always... Continue Reading →

Purpose built hostels showed that the youth hostel movement was new, bold and contemporary, aligning its supporters with other modern movements. But a movement is a coalition that relies on many different supporters and when the costs of purpose built hostels became obvious, against the cheapness of using existing empty properties, the desire for new,... Continue Reading →

Maeshafn from an early postcard (courtesy John Martin collection). "I think that Beauty, The Strange Necessity - as Rebecca West once called it - is something that matters profoundly to humanity, and that unless the race of man perishes from the earth, it will increasingly value that Grace, will seek it, and will ultimately attain... Continue Reading →

Youth hostels and design get a lot of attention today and I've been writing about why we shouldn't be surprised by finding good design in hostels. Architects have a long history of getting involved in youth hostels and one of the first in Britain was Sir Patrick Abercrombie. He’s best known for planning London after the... Continue Reading →