Summary of the novel "Hawksmoor"

This is a summary of the novel "Hawksmoor" written by Peter Ackroyd

The chapters of the novel are divided into two different eras, the 18th (with Dyer as a narrator) and 20th century (with an external narrator) but still bear some clear links in places and characters.

Chapter 1

The story takes place in the 18th century. The architect Nicolas Dyer works with his assistant Walter Pyne : they have to draw the plans of seven churches. The architect supervisor Sir Christopher Wren (Sir Chris) askes Dyer to hurry for the plans of the churches. So they began to work hard and Walter wrote a lettre to the commission.
Then Dyer's biography and youth are presented
Born in 1654, his father was a londoner baker. He lived in Spittle-fields. This 11-years-old boy goes to school and reads a lot of books. His mother and then his father become ill and die (the plague in London). There are also thousands of people who die. After that, He meets Mirabilis and follows him in his house in Black step Lane where there are a lot of people (30, they are called « the assembly »). The young Dyer stays 7 days with Mirabilis who sometimes danced and fell in extasy and returned with some revelations. Mirabilis believes in the necessity of the sacrifice of chosen boys whose blood is taken for the bread of the eucharist and other satanic beliefs. Centuries ago, instead of the churches, there were exactly at their place temples with druids. It’s a even magician, Joseph of Arimathea, who built one of the most important churches. The previous churches had links with evil and Dyer with his 7 churches, will join them, he wants somehow to follow their footsteps. His biography ends.
For his church in Spittle-fields (the place where he lived and where his parents died), beside it he wants to build a sepulture in a labyrinth structure, « the house under ground » which has a part of it underground. He gives for it the example of Kott’s Hole grave in a hill with the skeleton of a boy.
Thomas (10 or 11 years old), the son of Mr Hill the mason, climbs a tower in construction to put the last stone on the top (it was a masons tradition). Dyer in a pyramid near the building was watching him. The boy gazed him and Dyer shouted « Go on ! Gon on ! ». The boy fell and died. Dyer went near the boy’s body and smiled ! He sees death as a delivrance and a relief and the boy's one as a sacrifice.

Chapter 2

The story takes place in the 20th century. Boring guide and tourists visiting Spitalfields (spelt "Spittle-fields" centuries ago), a noisy and poor neighbourhood with historical plague sites.
Thomas Hill, the son of a dead baker, likes to hang out alone near the church of Spitalfields but the cemetry and its tunnel are dangerous. He doesn’t have any friend and is bullied in school. After that a boy hit him, he dreams or halucinates that he’s climing towards the clouds and the tower until the clouds hid him and a voice called out « Go on ! go on ! » and then he woke up. After this scene, we have two boys who go to tunnel, they fell, they screamed , they saw words written and drawings drawn on the wall. One of them injured his knee and at the end they left the tunnel.
Thomas is now in his house with his mother. He’s reading « Dr Faustus and Queen Elisabeth » (like when Dyer was a young) : Devil took Faustus into air and showed him the kingdoms of the world. He reads also « Some English martyrs » : Little St Hugh a 10 years-old son of a widow is killed by a Koppin, a heathen, a pagan in house under ground ritual his body was kept unknown 7 days and nights. Everyone who touched his body received a miracle.
Thomas’ mother hates their neighbourhood and she doesn’t want that he stays near the church (which for her represents the dirtiness and darkness of area), pyramid and the tunnel. In his room and through the window, he saw a man in a dark coat in the street looking up at him ! Thomas builds a model of a house looking like a labyrinth. To think whether it needs a basement or not, he goes to the south wall of the church to think about this issue. While he was thinking, he saw in front of him a couple who kiss each other and undressing themselves. He tries to approach them and he becomes so excited after seeing them. When he returns in his room, the excitement still tears him and he feels he will die, explode. Few days after this, he was walking in the street and a man in a dark black coat began to pursue him. The man smiles and runs after Thomas who tries to escape. In order to flee, he enters in the tunnel, he falls in it and wounded his leg ! He tries to move and walk, having heard before that one tunnel of the labyrinth can lead straight to the church. He feels hot even if the air is cold. Suddenly the pain in his leg dissappeared and the sweat dried. Meanwhile his mother is worried about the absence of her son. She calls the neighbours to search with her and curses, blames the neighbourhood that she anyway hates. Thomas woke up, his legs is very painful. While he was reading a transport ticket, he finds himself in his house where he sees his father, asks him if he’s dead, he answers no one is really dead. He woke, he has no more pain in his leg,… his father is leading him to a place (he says that he has to go to bed now, it’s late), people are sitting or lying in the passage and they smiles. He wants that they warm him. But he falls from the tower and during his falling someone cried « Go on, go on ! » and the shaddow came and when Thomas looked up he saw the face above him !

Chapter 3

Nicholas Dyer is ill (gout), he can’t move and stay in his bed. He didn’t go to work for 2 weeks. Nat Eliot is his servant, he is a little bit childish (feeds a mouse,…), exited, agitated,... A stupid apothecary (pharmacist) comes to see Dyer but doesn’t give him real solutions and Dyer calls him the « Monkey-Doctor ». Dyer writes a letter to Walter in order to give instructions for his churches and especially and the seconde one in Limehouse.
In every church, he puts some marks who represents his beliefs. In Limehouse, the pillars represent Baal-berith (pagan god), in the Chappell, the pillars represent Baal’s covenant.
Mrs Best, a widow and the owner of Dyer’s house, comes to see Dyer. She’s a poet and recites some verses which please Nat.
London is always growing and there are always new constructions. But it still is a city of dirtiness, darkness, poverty, the workmen’s houses always burning…
Then Dyer continues his biography.
He studied with Mirabilis. Even if he was with him, he slept the night in street (because "the assembly" is noisy and he can’t spleep) where he meets poor people, orphans, beggars (who believe in God, a thing that disgusts him). He’s miserable and in a very bad situation. He provoked pity for the christian people but they dodn’t help him. Mirabilis provokes him against the christian people (hatred) ; saying that if he follows his ideology, this people will be dust under his feet. When the plague began to abated and ceased, his aunt returned in the city and she adopted him (14 years-old). Two months later, began the Great Fire of London but their house nor Mirabilis’ one will not burn (the later predicted, prophesied that Dyer will not be burnt). Then Mirabilis took his dark coat and left : Dyer never saw him again. After this, Dyer serves as an apprentice for the mason Richard Creed. He worked hard, read books in Creed’s library about architecture, sepultures, pyramids and orders. At 16 years-old, he met Sir Chris in St Paul who was impressed by his intelligence and knowledge and decided to take him as a clerk and then as a assistant (assistant surveyour). Sir Chris was busy but helped Dyer who improved fastly and began even to work without Sir Chris’ help. Dyer continued to go to Black Step Lane but since Mirabilies left, it changed. End of the biography.
Sir Chris and Dyer go visit Stonehenge.
After this trip, Dyer meets Ned, a beggar who was an alcoholic printer in Bristol and fled because he drank always and coudn’t pay his debt and dues and feared the sergeants. In his church of Limehouse, he incites him to commit suicide and gives him a knife. In front of the hesitation of Ned, he even guides the knife and laughs.

Chapter 4

A tramp goes to a derelict house where he finds 3 other tramps (a man, a woman and a young man). His name is Ned. He was a printer in Bristol. He always was alone, lonely, solitary and feared any kind of relationship even with his parents or colleagues and hadn’t friends. But untill 24 years old, he hadn’t big problems. He was invited by his colleagues to a local pub where he began to be excited. Drunk, he began to tell a fake story (that he stole and went to prison and continue to steal.. which actually never happened). But next day he woke up in his room and began to be paranoid fearing that his colleagues tell what he said to their employer who will call the police. Actually, they know that he was drunk, and never thought telling their boss anything. He stayed in home days. He thinks that his house is not anymore his property , he leaves it and began to be a homeless. Thus , he enters in the world of the beggars and learned how to beg. He went to stonehenge where he had visions. In his way to London, when he was over a bridge, he met a traveller who tried to give him some hopes. In London, he met with a man (dark coat) and they had more or less the same discussion as Dyer and Ned ! The man asked him to go to Limehouse church not Spitalfields one !
He goes to an abandoned warehouse where he finds the dark coat man who incites him to death (« don’t be long, Ned »). Then, he goes to the house where there are the man, woman and the young man (beginning of the Chapter). After this, he goes near Limhouse church, heard something and the shadow fell (he dies).

Chapter 5

Walter, sad, says to Dyer that they are talking on him in the office and they say that he is confusing the rules and is too linked to the ruins of antiquity and is not a good master. Doesn’t please Dyer and he tries not to care about it. One of them is Vanbrugghe.
Joseph, one of the assembly, tells him what happened : some report of their activities spread abroad ; As a consequence, a crowd destroyed the house in Black Step Lane and killed members of the assembly . They agreed on the fact that they have to collaborate together to survive : Dyer will continue building the churches and Joseph will continue to kill and present sacrifices.
For his church in Wapping : the workmen (suspected him) whispered behind his back ; he writes to the commission to ask the permission to fire them (his reasons : they don’t work well and there are a lot of spanishes).
For and in the church of Wapping, Joseph killed a young boy, new sacrifice. Dyer lit powders for the foundations and to bury the boy.
Dyer receivces an anonymous letter which seems to threatens him ! He feels the fear growing and thinks that they had maybe discover his secrets through Water or one of his ennemy or opening the closet. He knows well what he can face if he is caught. He calms down and writes a response to Yorick Hayes (a measuring surveyour who may have used Walter ; Dyer thinks it’s him who wrote the letter) who reads it and throws it.

Chapter 6

A new and third victime has been killed in Wapping. The detective Hawksmoors investigates. The three has been strangled in the same area in churches. The name of his assistant is Walter Payne. He went to the church of Spitalfields to investigate on Thomas’ death. Hawksmoor and Walter go to the phatologist to see the result of the body analysis : asphywia by strangulation. No impressions, no prints left. 9 months ago, the body was discovered in a tunnel. Hawksmoor is worried about the time of the murder which is a key to the solution.
Mrs West, the neighbour of Hawksmoor, tells him that someone came and asked for him. The man who asked for Hawksmoor is Walter, his assistant. The next morning, they discuss together : the final results of the analysis shows absolutely no mars nor prints of the murder. Waler writes a report to the commission. All the vicitmes have been strangled. The third one is called Dan Dee, killed in Wapping.

Chapter 7

Mrs Best and Nat tells Dyers that when he was absent, a man came and asked fot him but he didn’t leave neither a letter nor his name. Dyer thinks it’s Hayes and during this chapter the suspected one will always be Hayes.
While walking in the street, Dyer feels being pursued by someone. He tries to escape from this by changing streets. But when he arrived at Red Gates, he received a threathening letter from the man pursuing him. He is frightened of what happened and that they may discover him
Dyers invites Hayes for a drink. They go to bars, and Dyers gives him so much alcohol that he becomes drunk. He brings him to the church of St Mary Woolnoth where he strangles him untill he dies. He said that when he killed him « he was out of himself »
After the murder, Dyer goes to a pub where he speaks with woman. they go to her room and have sexual relation.

Chapter 8

New and recent murder of a young boy, Matthew Hayes, in the church of St Mary of Wolnooth. Hawksmoor go to the place where it took place in the church.
in Spitalfields, formation of 3 shifts. Hawksmoor gives instructions and information. The murderer is not a normal one, he never left any proofs, prints, particules of sweat,… We don’t have the moment, time of the murders.
Between the church of St Mary of Woolnoth and the building next it, there is an excavation where the archeologist found a skeleton (Yorick Hayes’ one, hundreds years ago).
Then, there is a tramp drawing who caught Hawksmoor’s attention but he had to go for the interrogation of Mr Brian Wilson, a man who has confessed for the Matthew Hayes’ murder in St Mary of Woolnoth. But he is not the murdered, he just accuses himself, he doesn’ give any serious information and when Hawksmoor saw his situation and his mutilating neek, he let him go home. They receive a statement from a witness who says he saw child being pursued by a man in a dark coat. But Hawksmoor rejected it thinking it’s not serious. Hawksmoor receives a shocking letter from the tramp seen before. He presents important indices which can prove that he is the murder and he called himself « the universal architect ».
Walter pursues and spies Hawksmoor because his behaviour doesn’t please him and can harm his career? Besides, Hawksmoor is old fashioned and people in the office doesn’t appreciate him (same situation as Dyer and Walter)

Chapter 9

Dyer wants to get rid of everything which can threat him including his notebook. Hayes’ body is discovered by Walter and Mr Vanbrugghe informs Dyer of it. Dyer searchs in Walter’s stuff and find a paper where Hayes foretells his death by Dyer (or it is Walter who wrote it ?).
Witnesses said that they saw a man in a dark coat near the church, others said they saw a drunk man. Hayes is buried near the church. After the funerals, they go to the playhouse enjoying their time. After the playhouse, they go to a pub where Mr Vanbrugghe discusses with Dyer and it takes the form of a drama. The main topic of this disscusion is that Vanbrugghe thinks that we have to progress whereas Dyer thinks that we have to copy the past artists.
Dyer disguised himlself with beggar’s clothes. He tried to attract a young boy near the church of Bloomsburyand killed him.
Dyer visits Walter who is very ill and stays in his bed. This visit doesn’t please him. He confesses that he pursued him but lost him and returned in his house where he dreamed that he killed Hayes. After the dream, he found the body of Hayes. Walter feels responsability. He gives letters to Dyer.
It’s Walter who wrote the threatening letters not Hayes ! He wanted to get rid of Dyer
Dyer is jealous : Mr Vanbrugghe became the the comptroller of the queen’s work in England and before this the king made him a knight.
For his church of Greenwich, he will on the date of 22 april 1715 (eclipse of the sun) put the last stone and make a sacrifice.

Chapter 10

New victims in church of Greenwich and the church of Bloomsbury. Strangled with a ligature but no prints, traces or left.
Hawksmoor goes to the church of Bloomsbury where he hears sounds (laughter). Near the church, there is a couple having sex. The laughter didn’t come from them and actually is still present. When he returned home, he found a book sent to him in which there is the same drawing that he found in the letter, phrases, sketches,… and this sentence « Oh misery, they shall die » (the same as Dyer read in the paper found in Walter’s box). Investigating on the letter, they go to the dosshouse which is near the church and asks questions about the letter and the « architec ». There, they catch a tramp who seems to have information and bring him in the interview room in the police officer.
Hawksmoor is destroyed psychologically and tired as much as Walter is. Hawksmoor is disacharged from this mission : he is no more the boss and responsable of the investigation and returns home.

Chapter 11

The last church, the church of St Little Hugh in Black Step Lane. Dyer is tired, weak and sick. Walter died : he hung himself one week after Dyer visited him. His death is a good think for Dyer, actually he would have killed him. Walter is considered as the sacrifice for the last church The church will express all his beliefs and have a secret narration. Dyer hears the spirits. He sees people looking like him but dressed differently. Once, he saw a young boy in his room, and screamed. Nat came but didn’t see anything first. After remarking it, he run away due to fear. And the image fade, Dyer understood that he is ready now for the change. Dyer goe to his last church and is happy.

Chapter 12

Hawsmoor is sick and his face and situation is bad and disgusting. Mr West suggests him to go away to rest. Like Dyer, he hates the people he worked with. He feels himself betrayed. He finds a book where there is Nicholas Dyer’s biography.
Hawksmoor goes to St Little Huge in Black Step Lane. Inside of it, he sees a copy of him and other figures. He dances with them and is happy. At the end, he says that it’s a dream.