Thomas Cecil Howitt
Encyclopedia
Thomas Cecil Howitt, OBE (6 June 1889 - September, 1968) an eminent British provincial architect of the 20th Century, was born on 6 June 1889, at Hucknall
, near Nottingham
.
Howitt is chiefly remembered for designing prominent public buildings, such as the Council House and Processional Way in Nottingham
, Baskerville House
in Birmingham
(first phase of the unrealised Civic Centre scheme), Newport Civic Centre
, and several Odeon cinemas
(such as Weston-super-Mare and Bristol). Howitt's chief architectural legacies are however, in his home city of Nottingham. He was Housing Architect for the City Council, designing municipal housing estates which are often considered to be among the finest in terms of planning in the country.
, leaving in 1904 to be apprenticed to the prominent Nottingham architect, Albert Nelson Bromley. Bromley was architect to the Nottingham School Board and did extensive work for the Boots Company. In 1907, Howitt studied briefly at the Architectural Association School in London. He later opened a London branch office for Bromley, before returning to the Nottingham office until 1913.
Following a study tour of Europe in early 1914, Howitt was invited to become the company architect for Boots, however, the war soon intervened. Howitt was commissioned in November 1914, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Leicestershire Regiment. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
and French Croix de Guerre
, as well as a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur
(for action at the Battle of the Marne). Howitt was demobilised with the rank of Major in October 1919, and joined the City Engineer's Department at Nottingham City Council.
As work on the Council House came towards completion, Howitt wished to set up his own practice, and after being asked to stay in post until a suitable successor could be appointed, he established an office in Exchange Buildings in December 1930.
Cecil Howitt died aged 79 in September 1968; in the house he designed for himself, in the village of Orston
, Nottinghamshire
.
Hucknall
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...
, near Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
.
Nottingham Council House
Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The iconic high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides magnificently over the Old Market Square....
, Baskerville House
Baskerville House
Baskerville House, previously called the Civic Centre, is a former civic building in Centenary Square, Birmingham, England.-History:The site was originally occupied by the home of John Baskerville. He was buried nearby in the area which was known as Easy Hill...
in 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...
(first phase of the unrealised Civic Centre scheme), Newport Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre is the seat of government for the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building in the Art Deco style. Newport City Council has its main offices located in the building which also includes Magistrates' Courts and a Crown Court complex...
, and several Odeon cinemas
Odeon Cinemas
Odeon Cinemas is a British chain of cinemas, one of the largest in Europe. It is owned by Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group whose ultimate parent is Terra Firma Capital Partners.-History:Odeon Cinemas was created in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch...
(such as Weston-super-Mare and Bristol). Howitt's chief architectural legacies are however, in his home city of Nottingham. He was Housing Architect for the City Council, designing municipal housing estates which are often considered to be among the finest in terms of planning in the country.
Early years
Howitt was educated at Nottingham High SchoolNottingham High School
Nottingham High School is a British boys' independent school situated about a mile north of Nottingham city centre. It has around 900 pupils from ages 11 to 18 and there is the adjoining Nottingham High Junior School catering for younger boys and, from September 2008, the Lovell House...
, leaving in 1904 to be apprenticed to the prominent Nottingham architect, Albert Nelson Bromley. Bromley was architect to the Nottingham School Board and did extensive work for the Boots Company. In 1907, Howitt studied briefly at the Architectural Association School in London. He later opened a London branch office for Bromley, before returning to the Nottingham office until 1913.
Following a study tour of Europe in early 1914, Howitt was invited to become the company architect for Boots, however, the war soon intervened. Howitt was commissioned in November 1914, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Leicestershire Regiment. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and French Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, as well as a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(for action at the Battle of the Marne). Howitt was demobilised with the rank of Major in October 1919, and joined the City Engineer's Department at Nottingham City Council.
Cecil Howitt - Architect
In 1926, Howitt's rising status in the profession was marked by election as a member of the RIBA Council. The following year, he made a study tours of the USA and Canada and in 1928 to Denmark and Sweden (where he saw Stockholm Town Hall-writing an article about it for the local Nottingham Guardian).As work on the Council House came towards completion, Howitt wished to set up his own practice, and after being asked to stay in post until a suitable successor could be appointed, he established an office in Exchange Buildings in December 1930.
Major architectural works
- Approximately 6000 municipally-owned houses for rent, Nottingham (1919 - 30)
- Council HouseNottingham Council HouseNottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The iconic high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides magnificently over the Old Market Square....
, Exchange Buildings and Processional Way, Nottingham (1924 - 29) - Raleigh Cycle CompanyRaleigh Bicycle CompanyThe Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
Head Office, Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham (opened 1931) - awarded RIBA Bronze Medal 1933 - Home Brewery Head Office, Mansfield Road, Daybrook, Nottingham
- Woolwich Equitable Building Society, South Parade, Nottingham
- Martin's BankMartins BankMartins Bank Limited was a Liverpool-based British finanical services company that was taken over by Barclays Bank in 1969. The company has its origins in the 16th century and was said to have been founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, who began trading in Lombard Street under the sign of a grasshopper...
, Market Street, Nottingham (1930) - St. Mary's Church, Wollaton ParkSt. Mary's Church, Wollaton ParkSt. Mary's Church, Wollaton Park, is a parish church in the Church of England. It is located in Nottingham.-History:St. Mary's Wollaton Park was designed by the architect Thomas Cecil Howitt and opened in 1939....
, Nottingham (1937 - 39) - St. Barnabas' Church, Lenton AbbeySt. Barnabas' Church, Lenton AbbeySt. Barnabas Church, Lenton Abbey is a Church of England church in Lenton Abbey Nottingham.-History:St. Barnabas' Church, Lenton Abbey was designed by the architect Thomas Cecil Howitt. At the start of construction, a box containing coins, copies of the plans and Nottingham newspapers of the day...
, Nottingham (1937 - 39) - Staythorpe 'A' Power StationStaythorpe Power StationStaythorpe C Power Station is a 1,700 MWe gas-fired power station between Southwell and Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, between the River Trent and Nottingham to Lincoln Line. It opened in 2010.-History:...
, near Newark, Notts (from 1946) - awarded RIBA Bronze Medal 1953, now demolished - Nightingale Hall, University of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
(1946 - 56) - Portland BuildingWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of PortlandWilliam Arthur Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland KG , known as Marquess of Titchfield until 1943, was a British Conservative Party politician....
, University of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
(1951 - 56) - Nottingham & District Technical College (now Newton Building, Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham Trent UniversityNottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
), Burton Street, Nottingham (1956 - 58)
- Baskerville HouseBaskerville HouseBaskerville House, previously called the Civic Centre, is a former civic building in Centenary Square, Birmingham, England.-History:The site was originally occupied by the home of John Baskerville. He was buried nearby in the area which was known as Easy Hill...
, Centenary Square, Birmingham (1935 - 39) - Birmingham Municipal BankBirmingham Municipal BankThe Birmingham Municipal Bank was a savings bank in the city of Birmingham, England. It was created as the Birmingham Corporation Savings Bank by a 1916 Act of Parliament, to raise money to aid World War I...
Head Office, Broad Street, Birmingham (1931 - 34) - Civic CentreNewport Civic CentreNewport Civic Centre is the seat of government for the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building in the Art Deco style. Newport City Council has its main offices located in the building which also includes Magistrates' Courts and a Crown Court complex...
, Newport, Monmouthshire (1936 - 1967) - Odeon Cinema, Warley, Worcestershire (exterior only - 1934)
- Odeon Cinema, Weston-super-MareOdeon Cinema, Weston-super-MareThe Odeon Cinema, Weston-super-Mare in Somerset is an art deco cinema building, designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt. Still largely intact and retaining its originally installed Compton organ, it is a Grade II listed building.-Background:...
(opened May 1935) GradeII listed - Odeon Cinema, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex (opened May 1936)
- Odeon Cinema, Bridgwater, Somerset (opened July 1936)
- Odeon Cinema, Bristol (opened July 1938)
Selected unbuilt designs
- Civic Centre, Yeovil, Somerset (1938 - 39) - works cancelled by war.
- Head Office, British Electricity AuthorityBritish Electricity AuthorityThe British Electricity Authority was established in 1948 with the nationalisation of the Great Britain's electricity supply industry. It was created by means of the Electricity Act 1947...
, Bramcote, Nottingham (1956)
Later years
Howitt was actively involved in RIBA matters during the 1950s; effectively leaving the practice in the hands of partners Philip Gerrard and Frederick Woolley. Indeed, the name of the practice was changed to Cecil Howitt & Partners in 1948. Howitt retired from architectural practice in April 1962.Cecil Howitt died aged 79 in September 1968; in the house he designed for himself, in the village of Orston
Orston
Orston is a small village in Nottinghamshire, England nearby to Thoroton, Elton on the Hill and Bottesford.The name Orston is thought to originate from the Old English Ordricestune which means 'the farmstead of Ordric" Ordric was the leader of the small settlement...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
External links
- Nottingham Civic Society: Comparing Nottingham Council House and the Stockholm City Hall (2004)