Medieval modernism

If Prince Charles's views (Letters, 23 April) had dominated planning and architecture in the middle ages we would never have had the glorious profusion of cathedrals and churches that are such a key part of our architectural heritage. The masons would have been required to build in the manner of the late Anglo-Saxon period and all such buildings would have been largely timber, and now largely lost. The 13th-century cathedrals must have been modern, challenging and forward-looking when they were built. That's what we need, even in our oldest towns and cities, the characters of which are strengthened by the rich mix of buildings they contain.
David Cockayne
Newark, Nottinghamshire