Hubert Pragnell is a historian and artist who has a deep love of British architecture. He grew up within walking distance of Blackheath and Greenwich and so absorbed the buildings of Wren, Hawksmoor and Vanbrugh from earliest childhood. He studied history at the University of Kent as well as fine art at the Ruskin School of Drawing, Oxford. He was Head of Art History at the King's School, Canterbury and taught there for nearly thirty years. For the past seven years he has been a part-time tutor for the Oxford University Department of Continuing Education at Rewley House. He has written a number of book and articles on architectural topics. Most recently Architectural Britain, published by the National Trust, and a study of Industrial architecture called Industrial Britain. He has lectured extensively to local history groups and is a National Trust lecturer. Besides architecture he has a keen interest in railways and travel.