Horace Field

Horace Field
Born	1861
Died	1948

Horace Field was a London born architect. His work was often in a Wrenaissance style, as well as other post-gothic English historical revival styles, with influences from the Arts and Crafts movement and Richard Norman Shaw. His commissions including large houses and offices; he produced a number of works for Lloyds Bank as well as offices for the North Eastern Railway in London and York.

Biography

Horace Field was born 17 July 1861 at Chalcot Crescent, London; the son of Horace Field (architect, District Surveyor of Putney and Roehampton, 1823-1879) and his wife Christina née White (d. 1866).^[1]

Horace Field trained as an architect at the Glasgow firm of John Burnet, then under Robert William Edis of London. Fields was not inspired by Edis's work, but developed great admiration and respect for Richard Norman Shaw architect of Hampsted, who he knew socially - both for his work and as an example of humanity.^[2]

Field started his own practice in 1882, as Field and Moore, together with his father's assistant Edwin Emmanuel Moore; their first work was Wedderburn House (1884-5), a six-story block of flats in Hampstead; Wedderburn Cottage (1886) followed adjacent.^[2]

In 1887 he married May Francis Campbell, and joined the Art Workers Guild in 1889.^[2] "The Hoo" (17, Lyndhurst Gardens) in Camden was built 1899, and further properties at Nos. 19-21.^[3]

In 1890 Field took on Michael Bunney as a trainee; Bunney became Field's chief assistant, until 1902, when he formed his own practice. Together they wrote English domestic architecture of the XVII and XVIII centuries.^[2] Field's first commercial business client was Lloyds Bank who commissioned bank buildings at Hampstead c.1895; subsequently Lloyds used Field as architect over a 30-year period.^[4]

In 1898 the North Eastern Railway (NER) chose Fields as architect for their new main headquarters in York. Working with William Bell the company's architect, whose input was mainly structural or contractual, the office buildings were constructed between 1900 and 1906, with Field receiving £1,750 payment for his work.^[5] Field also received the commission to design the NER's London offices in Cowley Street, his plans were submitted 1904 and the building completed 1906.^[6]

In the early 20th century Field produced plans for builders William Willett and Son, producing large London houses, and apartments. He left the Art Workers' Guild in 1903 and joined RIBA in 1906. He continued to work until 1934, and died 16 June 1948.^[7]

Works

Fields' work has been described as being in the wrenaissance style;^[8] his exteriors included a variety of historical revival styles, such as Queen Anne revival and neo-Georgian. Most works were done in red brick, often with stone dressing. He often made use of steeply pitched roofs with dormer windows to contain extra stories.^[9]

Buildings (listed)

Wedderburn House, Camden (1884-5).^[10]
- "Wedderburn Cottage" 3, Wedderburn Road, Camden (1886).^[11]
- 5, Wedderburn Road, Camden (1886).^[12]
- 7 & 9, Wedderburn Road, Camden (1887).^[13]
- 11 & 13, Wedderburn Road, Camden (1888).^[14]
"The Hoo"; 17, Lyndhurst Gardens (1889–90).^[15]
11, 12 & 13 Gainsborough Gardens, Camden (1893-5).^[16]
14, Gainsborough Gardens (1894-5).^[17]
Lloyds Bank, 40 & 40A, Rosslyn Hill, with adjoining terraced houses, Hampstead, Camden (1895-6).^[18]
19, 20 & 21 Lyndhurst Road, Camden (1897-8).^[19]
North Eastern Railway company offices, York (1900-1906).^[20]
5. St.Clements Ln., 6 & 7, Portugal Street, City of Westminster (1903).^[21]
4, Cowley Street SW1, (1904-5). London offices for the North Eastern Railway.^[22]
Lloyds Bank, West Street, Okehampton, Devon (1908)^[23]
8, Barton Street SW1 (1909).^[24]
12A and 14-18 Devonshire Street W1, with Simmonds and Faulkner (1912).^[25]
Gorsehill, Leiston Rd., Suffolk (1928).^[26]

Publications

Field, Horace; Bunney, Michael (1905), English domestic architecture of the XVII and XVIII centuries : a selection of examples of smaller buildings measured drawn and photographed with an introduction and notes, George Bell and Sons

former NER company offices, York. West elevation (2009)

former NER London offices, Cowley St. (2007)

Lloyds Bank, Okehampton, Devon (2011)

References

Sources

Fawcett, Bill; Howat, Patrick (2006), The North Eastern Railway's Two Palaces of Business, Friends of the National Railway Museum, ISBN 1872826148
"Horace Field", www.scottisharchitects.org.uk

Literature

Brittain-Catlin, Timothy (2010), "Horace Field and Lloyds Bank", Architectural History 53: 271–294, ISSN 0066-622X

External links

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