Henry Woodyer
Encyclopedia
Henry Woodyer was an [{England|English]] architect, a pupil of William Butterfield
and a disciple of A.W.N. Pugin and the Ecclesiologists.
, Surrey
, England
, in 1816, the son of a successful, highly respected surgeon, who owned Allen House in the Upper High Street. His mother came from the wealthy Halsey family who owned Henley Park, just outside Guildford.
Woodyer was educated first at Eton College
, then at Merton College
, Oxford
. As a result he could claim to be one of the best educated architects since Sir Christopher Wren. Whilst at Oxford
, he became involved in the Anglican high church
movement and throughout his career he saw his work as an architect as a means of serving the church.
, with whom he had an office in the same building in London. In addition to this, Woodyer kept an office in the same building as his father’s medical practice, in Guildford High Street.
Woodyer was an architect, but first of all a gentleman. He had an estate at Grafham
, near Guildford and spent his holidays cruising the Mediterranean on his yacht. He despised "professionalism" and any form of advertising, including publishing his buildings, but his good connections meant he never lacked work. Many of his jobs came from Eton or Oxford contacts, or through recommendations from fellow high churchmen. Though romantic and pleasure-loving, Woodyer took his role as an architect seriously, using his sharp tongue to put clients in their place when necessary. He had an eye for human detail, spending hours ensuring there was space for the boys to play football when designing an extension to the New Schools at Eton.
and was responsible for a series of religious institutions, including the Convent at Clewer
in Berkshire for the "fallen women" of Windsor
.
His work is predominantly muscular Gothic Revival architecture
, in the spirit of Pugin, with whom he may have had early practical experience. Like Pugin, his style stems from his religious bent. At times he could verge on the pedestrian, as at the New Schools at Eton and Cranleigh, and his restorations can seem wilfully insensitive. But at its best, there is an energetic vigour to his religious and secular work.
Woodyer's was a convincing vision of the Middle Ages
, rich with colour and decoration. He was closely connected to Hardman & Co.
, the Birmingham
firm of stained glass
manufacturers, where Pugin was the first art director.
His churches, such as Holy Innocents, Highnam
, Gloucestershire
have bold spires and impressive chancel
s. His domestic buildings, whether small - such as the sexton's cottage at Highnam - or of the ambition of St. Andrew's Convent at Clewer, or St. Michael's College at Tenbury Wells
, Worcestershire
ripple with gables and towers and sharply pitched roofs.
Woodyer's style of architecture soon fell out of fashion but it neatly encapsulates an era of moral certainties and confident prosperity.
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
and a disciple of A.W.N. Pugin and the Ecclesiologists.
Life
Woodyer was born in GuildfordGuildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1816, the son of a successful, highly respected surgeon, who owned Allen House in the Upper High Street. His mother came from the wealthy Halsey family who owned Henley Park, just outside Guildford.
Woodyer was educated first at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, then at Merton College
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. As a result he could claim to be one of the best educated architects since Sir Christopher Wren. Whilst at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, he became involved in the Anglican high church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
movement and throughout his career he saw his work as an architect as a means of serving the church.
Career
Woodyer’s architectural training is a mystery, although it is likely that he received help and guidance from William ButterfieldWilliam Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
, with whom he had an office in the same building in London. In addition to this, Woodyer kept an office in the same building as his father’s medical practice, in Guildford High Street.
Woodyer was an architect, but first of all a gentleman. He had an estate at Grafham
Grafham, Surrey
Grafham is a village in Surrey, England.The village is located south of near Guildford and east of Godalming on the A281 road. The church is named after St Andrew.The Victorian architect Henry Woodyer had an estate here....
, near Guildford and spent his holidays cruising the Mediterranean on his yacht. He despised "professionalism" and any form of advertising, including publishing his buildings, but his good connections meant he never lacked work. Many of his jobs came from Eton or Oxford contacts, or through recommendations from fellow high churchmen. Though romantic and pleasure-loving, Woodyer took his role as an architect seriously, using his sharp tongue to put clients in their place when necessary. He had an eye for human detail, spending hours ensuring there was space for the boys to play football when designing an extension to the New Schools at Eton.
Work: an overview
Woodyer has about 300 commissions to his name, most within easy reach of Guildford by train. Religion dominated his practice, with innumerable churches and church restorations to his name, as well as parsonages and village schools. He also designed or extended country houses, made additions to Eton College, built Cranleigh SchoolCranleigh School
Cranleigh School is an independent English boarding school in the village of Cranleigh, Surrey. It was founded in 1865 as a boys' school and started to admit girls in the early 1970s. It is now co-educational. The current headmaster is Guy de W...
and was responsible for a series of religious institutions, including the Convent at Clewer
Clewer
Clewer is an ecclesiastical parish and region of Windsor making up three wards of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
in Berkshire for the "fallen women" of Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
.
His work is predominantly muscular Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, in the spirit of Pugin, with whom he may have had early practical experience. Like Pugin, his style stems from his religious bent. At times he could verge on the pedestrian, as at the New Schools at Eton and Cranleigh, and his restorations can seem wilfully insensitive. But at its best, there is an energetic vigour to his religious and secular work.
Woodyer's was a convincing vision of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, rich with colour and decoration. He was closely connected to Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings...
, the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
firm of stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
manufacturers, where Pugin was the first art director.
His churches, such as Holy Innocents, Highnam
Highnam
Highnam is a village and civil parish on the outskirts of the city of Gloucester. It is three miles northwest of the city on the A40, on its way to Ross, west of Alney Island and Over Bridge. The parish includes the villages of Lassington and Over...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
have bold spires and impressive chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
s. His domestic buildings, whether small - such as the sexton's cottage at Highnam - or of the ambition of St. Andrew's Convent at Clewer, or St. Michael's College at Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
ripple with gables and towers and sharply pitched roofs.
Woodyer's style of architecture soon fell out of fashion but it neatly encapsulates an era of moral certainties and confident prosperity.
Churches (new)
- Holy Innocents' Church, Highnam, Gloucestershire (including sexton's cottage), 1847
- St. Paul's Church, SkettySkettySketty is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community is coterminous with the electoral ward....
, Glamorgan, 1849–50, for John Henry VivianJohn Henry VivianJohn Henry Vivian was a Welsh industrialist and politician of Cornish extraction.Vivian was the son of John Vivian, of Truro, Cornwall, and his wife Betsey, daughter of the Reverend Richard Cranch, and the brother of Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian... - Holy Jesus' Church, LydbrookHoly Jesus' Church, LydbrookHoly Jesus' Church at Lydbrook is a Church of England parish church in the English county of Gloucestershire.-Structure:The greater part of the Church was built in 1850 and 1851. It is in the style of the 14th century Decorated Period. The architect was Henry Woodyer, a flamboyant character...
, Gloucestershire, 1850–51 - Christ Church, Christchurch Road, Reading, Berkshire, 1861-2
- St. Martin's Church, Dorking, 1868–77, described by Sir Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus PevsnerSir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
as Woodyer's most important - St. John the Baptist Church, Odo Street, Hafod, Swansea, 1878–80, for Henry Hussey VivianHenry Vivian, 1st Baron SwanseaHenry Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea was a Welsh industrialist and politician.-Biography:Born at Singleton Abbey, Swansea, Henry was the eldest son of industrialist and MP John Henry Vivian and his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Jones, of Reigate. His uncle was Sir Richard Hussey Vivian, first...
Churches (restoration or rebuilding)
- St. Blaise Church, Milton, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), 1849-51
- St Nicolas' Church, NewburySt Nicolas' Church, NewburySt Nicolas Church is the parish church of Newbury, Berkshire, and is situated just south of the main bridge over the River Kennet, in the centre of the town. It is chiefly remarkable for the consistency of its Perpendicular Gothic architectural style and its unusually large size for a parish...
, Berkshire, 1858 - St. Andrew's parish church, ClewerClewerClewer is an ecclesiastical parish and region of Windsor making up three wards of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
, Berkshire: north arcade, 1858 - St. John the Baptist parish church, Berwick St. JohnBerwick St. JohnBerwick St John is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. Its nearest town is Shaftesbury in Dorset, which lies approximately east from the village. The 2001 census recorded a parish population of 398.-External links:*...
, WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, 1861 - St. Bartholomew's parish church, Wanborough, SurreyWanborough, SurreyWanborough is a small hamlet in Surrey approximately 6 km west of Guildford on the northern slopes of the Hog's Back. Neighbouring villages include: Puttenham and Christmas Pie...
, 1861 - St. Lawrence parish church, Toot BaldonToot BaldonToot Baldon is village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford in Oxfordshire.The Church of England parish church of Saint Lawrence was built mostly in the 13th century. The Gothic Revival architect Henry Woodyer restored the building in 1865...
, Oxfordshire, 1865 - St. Swithin's parish church, Compton BassettCompton BassettCompton Bassett is a village in Wiltshire between Calne and Cherhill with a population of approximately 250. It is a largely rural village with several farms, a church, a pub and a shop.-Midge Mather Incident:...
, Wiltshire: chancel, chancel chapels and north porch (1866) - St. Laurence parish church, CaversfieldCaversfieldCaversfield is a village and civil parish about north of the centre of Bicester. In 1844 Caversfield became part of Oxfordshire, but until then it was always an exclave of Buckinghamshire entirely surrounded by Oxfordshire.-Early history:...
, Oxfordshire, 1874 - St. John the Divine parish church, PatchingPatchingPatching is a small village and civil parish that lies amidst the fields and woods of the southern slopes of the South Downs in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It has a history going back to before the Domesday survey of 1087. It is located four miles to the east of Arundel, to the...
, West Sussex, 1888–89
Other institutional buildings
- School (now the Stewart Hall), SkettySkettySketty is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community is coterminous with the electoral ward....
, SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, 1853, for John Henry VivianJohn Henry VivianJohn Henry Vivian was a Welsh industrialist and politician of Cornish extraction.Vivian was the son of John Vivian, of Truro, Cornwall, and his wife Betsey, daughter of the Reverend Richard Cranch, and the brother of Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian... - St. Edmund's Church School, SalisburySalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire, 1860 - Fisherton Anger Church School, Fisherton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, 1867
- House of Mercy, Clewer, Berkshire, 1853-73
- Cranleigh SchoolCranleigh SchoolCranleigh School is an independent English boarding school in the village of Cranleigh, Surrey. It was founded in 1865 as a boys' school and started to admit girls in the early 1970s. It is now co-educational. The current headmaster is Guy de W...
, Surrey - New Schools, Eton CollegeEton CollegeEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, 1861-63 - St. Michael's College, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire
- The Chapel at St Thomas's Home for the Friendless and Fallen, Darlington Road, Basingstoke dedicated on 21 July 1885, the eve of St Mary Magdalen's feast day
Domestic buildings
- Alterations to Parc Wern (now Parc Beck), SkettySkettySketty is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community is coterminous with the electoral ward....
, Glamorgan, 1851–3 for H.H. Vivian - Church Cottage, TutshillChurch Cottage, TutshillChurch Cottage in the village of Tutshill, Gloucestershire, England, is a Grade II listed building, thought to have been designed by the architect Henry Woodyer. It was the childhood home, between the ages of 9 and 18, of Joanne Rowling, author Church Cottage in the village of Tutshill,...
, c. 1852. - Brynmill Lodge (gate-lodge) and (attributed) Verandah (a small Gothic house, 1853) at Singleton AbbeySingleton AbbeySingleton Abbey is a large, mainly 19th century mansion in Swansea, Wales. Today, the buildings are used to house administration offices for Swansea University...
, Swansea) for J.H. Vivian - Alterations to Hall Place, Buckinghamshire, 1868
- Alterations to TyntesfieldTyntesfieldTyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England, near Nailsea, seven miles from Bristol.The house was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a fund raising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and ensure it be opened to the public...
, Wraxall, Somerset for Matilda Blanche Gibbs, circa 1880