Galvanised by William Morris's disgust at what he perceived as the dehumanising tendencies of mass production and the factory system, a group of architects and designers attempted to revive the traditions of simple handicraft techniques in 19th century Britain. In architecture they looked at the unselfconscious vernacular tradition of barns, mills, and cottages as an inspiration and at the aesthetics of the mediaeval period. Known as the Arts and Crafts movement, this design tendency spread across much of Europe to America and Australia.