- William Wynford
William Wynford (flourished 1360-1405) [page 352, English Medieval Architects A Biographical Dictionary Down to 1550, John Harvey 1984] was one of the most successful English master masons of the 14th century, using the new
Perpendicular Gothic style. He is first mentioned in 1360 when at work atWindsor Castle as warden of masons' work. He became master mason atWells Cathedral in 1364-5 where he is believed to have designed the South West tower, it was probably here that he metWilliam of Wykeham who was then a provost of the cathedral. He was probably made master of the works at Windsor Castle under Wykeham, in 1372Edward III granted Wynford a pension of £10 per annum. In 1375-6 he was at work atAbingdon Abbey and working for the crown atCorfe Castle in 1377-78 making new rooms in thekeep . In 1378 Wynford was working withHenry Yevele atSouthampton .With the death of Edward III the new king
Richard II of England favoured Wykeham, with new found wealth he founded in 1379New College, Oxford which was designed by Wynford who also designedWinchester College founded by Wykeham in 1382. There is a portrait of Wynford in the stained glass in the east window of Winchester College, this shows an old man with thinning hair, a long nose and dropping moustache and forked beard with the words 'Willms Wynfort lathomus' below. In 1389-90 he was repairingWinchester Castle , and 1394 he commenced his major work of remodelling the Norman nave ofWinchester Cathedral in the latestPerpendicular Gothic style.Wynford used a distinctive plan of placing the chapel and great hall end to end, this occurred at Windsor Castle (the chapel and Hall were united as a single Hall by Sir
Jeffry Wyatville forGeorge IV ), and at Winchester and New Colleges'. The two colleges also have cloisters that are next to rather than surrounded by the main college buildings, which form a separate courtyard consisting of as well as the Great Hall and Chapel, an entrance gate with tower above, sets of rooms for scholars and fellows opening off staircases, a Library, accommodation for the Warden, the Kitchen, bakery and etc are in a separate wing at New College but surround a second courtyard at Winchester College. New college also has a bell tower next to the cloister. These were the very first educational buildings in England to be designed as a complete entity, as such they influenced later college buildings such asEton College &Magdalen College, Oxford .References
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