Gothic Revival: Irregular Appearance

NOTES: This was James Wyatt's last great Gothic house, finished on his death by his nephew Jeffry Wyatt (later Sir Jeffry Wyatville) who added the lower buildings on the right in the drawing. See RIBA95235 for Buckler's view of the house from the south-east at the time of Wyatt's death.

NOTES: Built by Richard Payne Knight, virtuoso, archaeologist and anthropologist, c.1772-1778, this house is one of the earliest contrived castellated castles. Knight was assisted in the early stages of building by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard.

NOTES: The church of St Barnabas was consecrated in 1847, but in 1852 a north aisle and vestry were added and the parsonage was built.

NOTES: The school was demolished around 1850 when the land it was built on was needed for the railway.

NOTES: This lithograph was prepared for John Edward Cussans, History of Hertfordshire, vol. 1 (1870-1873).

NOTES: The architects working on the existing house during the period 1811-1820 were Thomas Hopper, who was responsible for the conservatory, William Hollins of Birmingham, who was responsible for changes to the old hall in 1817 and some ornamental work, and, most significantly, Thomas Allason, commissioned by the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury in 1819-20, who designed the north Entrance Hall, Chapel, great Drawing Room, Long Gallery and dining room. The house was later to be altered by A.W.N. Pugin and its name changed to Alton Towers.

NOTES: This painting is a copy of Allom's orignal perspective that came to William Brakspear after having worked in Sir Charles Barry's office. The original watercolour, one of two of the new Houses of Parliament, was commissioned by Barry and gifted to Tsar Nicholas I following his visit to London in 1844.

NOTES: This is possibly the drawing exhibited by Waterhouse at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in 1880 (St Paul's School at Kensington [sic], number 1177).

NOTES: St Pancras Station opened in 1868 while the hotel, also known as the Midland Grand Hotel, opened in 1874. The latter was built for the eponymous railway company to receive travellers through the adjacent St Pancras Station. It was converted into offices in 1935.

SOURCE: The House of William Burges ARA, edited by R. P. Pullan (London, 1875-1885), portfolio plate no. 6

NOTES: This abbey for Augustinian canonesses was founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury. It was dissolved in 1539 and sold to Sir William Sharrington who converted it into a family home. The Gothick Great Hall was built for John Ivory Talbot by Sanderson Miller in 1753-1755.

NOTES: Located near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, on the south bank of the River Tweed, this residence was built for the novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832).