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Henry Flitcroft

English architect (1697-1769)

Henry Flitcroft
Summary

English architect (1697-1769)

FieldValue
nameHenry Flitcroft
nationalityEnglish
birth_date
birth_placeprobably Hampton Court, England
death_date
death_placeHampstead, England
significant_buildingsWentworth Woodhouse
Woburn Abbey
St. Giles-in-the-fields

Woburn Abbey St. Giles-in-the-fields

Lord Burlington]] noticed his talent with a pencil. By 1720, Flitcroft was Burlington's draughtsman and general architectural assistant, surveying at [[Westminster School]] for Burlington's dormitory and superintending on site at [[Tottenham House]]. Working within Burlington's inner circle, which championed the new [[Palladian architecture]], provided Flitcroft with valuable education.

Flitcroft redrew the plates for publication in The Designs of Mr. Inigo Jones, published by William Kent in 1727 under Burlington's patronage and supervision. In May 1726, Burlington secured his protégé an appointment at the Office of Works, where he advanced from Master Carpenter and Master Mason to Comptroller of the King's Works, a prestigious position. He also received royal commissions for private projects for junior members of the British royal family, notably Prince William, Duke of Cumberland to whom he had been his "architectural tutor". His work for the Duke at Windsor Great Park included collaborating with Thomas Sandby who worked as Flitcroft's assistant when designing Virginia Water Lake's 'Great Bridge'.

Flitcroft adapted and altered The Great Lodge at Windsor (later known as Cumberland Lodge) for its chief resident, the Duke of Cumberland. In 2022, a conference room at Cumberland Lodge is named 'Flitcroft' after him.

Flitcroft's designs such as a "low rustic bridge with rockwork at Virginia Water" are held in the Royal Collection Trust and reveal that Sandby often created drawings of Flitcroft's designs. Flitcroft was constantly occupied with private commissions. Like most professional architects (and unlike virtuoso earls), he also engaged in speculative construction in newly developing London streets, supplied stone, and contracted to erect the buildings he designed.

Flitcroft designed Potternewton Hall, near Leeds c.1730. His panelling and a mantelpiece from one of the hall's rooms were installed in Sutton Park after 1935.

Royal Patronage

From 1746 to 1756, he served as Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral and was Comptroller of the King's Works from 1758-1769.

Monument at St Mary's church, Teddington

In 1724, Flitcroft married Sarah Minns at St Benet's, Paul's Wharf. His son Henry was born in Hampton (1742). Flitcroft is buried at St Mary with St Alban, Teddington, alongside his son Henry (died 1826) and wife Jane (died 1778). The inscription on his tomb records that "Here lies the body of HENRY FLITCROFT of Whitehall in the county of Middlesex who had the honour of serving three first Princes of the House of Brunswick in the Board of Works of which he was successively Appointed Clerk, Master Mason & Controller in the last of which Office he continued till his death which happened on the 25th of February 1769." A memorial to Henry Flitcroft is located on the west wall inside the church.

Flitcroft Street, near St Giles in the Fields, London, was named after Henry Flitcroft.

Major commissions

  • Lilford Hall, Northamptonshire: 1740s. He designed the interiors at Lilford.
  • Bower House, Essex: 1729.
  • St Giles in the Fields, London: 1731–1734.
  • Ditchley Park, Oxfordshire: 1724 onwards. At Ditchley, he designed interiors, collaborating harmoniously with William Kent.
  • Wentworth Woodhouse, W. Riding, Yorkshire: 1735 onwards. He rebuilt and enlarged the west front and added wings.
  • St Giles House, Wimborne St Giles, Dorset: 1740–1744. Interiors.
  • Stowe House, Buckinghamshire: . The State gallery (attributed).
  • Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire: 1742–1745.
  • Stourhead, Wiltshire: 1744–1765. Garden temples.
  • Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire: 1748–1761.
  • Milton Hall, Northamptonshire: 1750–1751.

Flitcroft built extensively in the West End of London.

File:Wimpole Hall 02.jpg|Wimpole Hall, as remodelled by Flitcroft File:Stourhead Pantheon 02 mod timm.jpg|The Pantheon, Stourhead File:Stourhead Pantheon 03.jpg|Facade The Pantheon, Stourhead File:Stourhead, Pantheon, interior.jpg|Interior, The Pantheon, Stourhead File:Temple at Stourhead.jpg|The temple of Apollo, Stourhead File:St Giles in the Fields 01 crop.jpg|North front, St. Giles-in-the-fields File:St giles down the aisle.jpg|Looking East, St. Giles-in-the-fields File:St-Giles-in-the-fields interieur.jpg|Altar, St. Giles-in-the-fields File:Woburn_Abbey.jpg|West front, Woburn Abbey File:Wentworth Woodhouse 02.jpg|West front, Wentworth Woodhouse, the wings were altered later by John Carr File:The Bower House, Havering-atte-Bower, Essex (geograph 4008009).jpg|Bower House, Essex File:Table MET DP112858.jpg|table designed c.1740-1745

References

Sources

H. M. Colvin, The History of the King's Works, London: H.M.S.O. (1963–1982)

  • (v.3,pt 1)
  • (v.4,pt 2)
  • (v.5)
  • (v.6)
  • (Plans 5-7)

  • References

    1. "Whitehall Palace".
    2. (2023). "Henry Flitcroft". ART UK - A Public Catalogue Foundation.
    3. {{NHLE
    4. Jane Roberts. (1997). "Royal Landscape: The Gardens and Parks of Windsor". Yale University Press.
    5. (2020). "Capability Brown - Royal Gardener". White Rose University Press.
    6. "Artists Thomas Sandby 1721–1798". ART UK - a Public Catalogue Foundation.
    7. (2022). "Flitcroft". Cumberland Lodge.
    8. (2021). "Description A pen and watercolour design for a low rustic bridge with rockwork at Virginia Water.". The Royal Collection Trust.
    9. (1950). "Yorkshire Illustrated". Yorkshire Illustrated Publications.
    10. (2022). "The Story of Follies - Architectures of Eccentricity". Reaktion Books.
    11. "Henry Flitcroft".
    Wikipedia Source

    This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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