Henry Woodyer

Henry Woodyer (1816-1896) was an English architect, a pupil of William Butterfield and a disciple of Pugin and the Ecclesiologists [cite book | last = Newman | first = John | authorlink = | coauthors = Stephen Hughes, Anthony Ward | title = Glamorgan | publisher = Yale University Press | date = 2004 | location = New Haven and London | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 0 300 09629 1] .

Life

Woodyer was born in Guildford, Surrey 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, 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.

Woodyer’s architectural training is a mystery, although it is likely that he received help and guidance from William Butterfield, 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 [ [http://www.guildford-heritage.org.uk/Power_of_10/henry_woodyer.htm Henry Woodyer ] ] .

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 [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2002/05/18/pwors18.xml Master builder: Henry Woodyer - Telegraph ] ] .

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 School and was responsible for a series of religious institutions, including the Convent at Clewer for the "fallen women" of Windsor.

His work is predominantly muscular Gothic, in the spirit of A W N 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 and Co, the Birmingham firm of stained-glass manufacturers, where Pugin was the first art director.

His churches, such as Holy Innocents, Highnam have bold spires and impressive chancels. 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 ripple with gables and towers and sharply pitched roofs.

His style of architecture soon fell out of fashion but it neatly encapsulates a forgotten world of moral certainties and confident prosperity.

Work: the buildings

Churches (new):

* Holy Innocents' Church, Highnam, Gloucestershire (including sexton's cottage) (1847)
* St Paul's Church, Sketty, Glamorgan (1849-50)
* Holy Jesus' Church, Lydbrook, Gloucestershire (1850-51)
* St. Martin's, Dorking (1868-77), described by Pevsner as his most important

Churches (restoration):

* St Nicolas Church, Newbury, Berkshire
* St Bartholomew's Church, Wanborough, Surrey (1861)

Other public buildings:

* St Andrew's Convent, Clewer
* Cranleigh School
* alterations to Eton College
* school (now the Stewart Hall) (1853) at Sketty for John Henry Vivian
* St Michael's College, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire

Domestic buildings:

* alterations to Parc Wern (now Parc Beck), Sketty, Glamorgan (1851-3) for Henry Hussey Vivian
* alterations to Hall Place, Buckinghamshire (1868) [ [http://www.andersonandglenn.com/urban2.htm Hall Place Parterre ] ]
* alterations to Tyntesfield, Wraxall, Somerset for Anthony Gibbs (c. 1880)

Notes

References

* John Elliott and John Prichard, "Henry Woodyer: Gentleman Architect", University of Reading, 2002