James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, a rival of

Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (architect), William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and train ...

in the neoclassical and

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

styles. He was elected to the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806.

Early life

Wyatt was born on 3 August 1746 at Weeford, near

Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...

, Staffordshire, England.

Early classical career

Wyatt spent six years in Italy, 1762–68, in company with Richard Bagot of Staffordshire, who was Secretary to Charles Compton, 7th Earl of Northampton's embassy to the

Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

. In

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, Wyatt studied with Antonio Visentini (1688–1782) as an architectural draughtsman and painter. In

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

he made measured drawings of the dome of

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initiall ...

, "being under the necessity of lying on his back on a ladder slung horizontally, without cradle or side-rail, over a frightful void of 300 feet". Back in England, his selection as architect of the proposed Pantheon or "Winter

Ranelagh Ranelagh ( , ; , ) is an affluent residential area and urban village on the Southside of Dublin, Ireland in the postal district of Dublin 6. Ranelagh was originally a village called Cullenswood. It has a history of conflict, including the at ...

" in

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

, London, brought him almost unparalleled instant success. His brother

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

was one of the principal promoters of the scheme, and it was doubtless due to him that the designs of a young and almost unknown architect were accepted by the committee. When the Pantheon was opened in 1772, their choice was at once endorsed by the fashionable public:

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...

pronounced it to be "the most beautiful edifice in England". WyattPantheonOxfordSt

Externally it was unremarkable, but the classicising domed hall surrounded by galleried aisles and apsidal ends was something new in assembly rooms, and brought its architect immediate celebrity. The design was exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

, private commissions followed, and at the age of 26 Wyatt found himself a fashionable domestic architect and on 27 August 1770 an Associate of the Royal Academy.Bingham, Neil, (2011) page 46 ''Masterworks: Architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts'', Royal Academy of Arts, His polished manners secured him friends as well as patrons among the great, and when it was rumoured that he was about to leave the country to become architect to

Catherine II of Russia Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

, a group of English noblemen is said to have offered him a retaining fee of £1,200 to remain in their service. His major neoclassical country houses include

Heaton Hall Heaton Park is a Urban park, public park in Prestwich, Manchester, England, covering an area of over . The park includes the grounds of a Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester, Grade I listed, neoclassical architecture, neoclassical 18 ...

near

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

(1772),

Heveningham Hall Heveningham Hall is a Grade I listed building in Heveningham, Suffolk, England. The first house on the site was built for the politician and regicide William Heveningham in 1658. The present house, dating from 1778 to 1780, was designed by ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

(circa 1788–99), and

Castle Coole Castle Coole (from Logainm
– Castle Coole – scanned record 2) is a

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, as well as Packington Hall, Staffordshire, the home of the

Levett Levett is a surname of Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from eLivet, which is held particularly by families and individuals resident in England and British Commonwealth territories. Origins This surname comes from the village of ...

family for generations, and Dodington Park in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

for the Codrington family. On 15 February 1785 Wyatt was elected an Academician of the Royal Academy, his diploma work being a drawing of the Darnley Mausoleum. Large_Dining_Room_by_James_Wyatt

Later classical work

In later years, he carried out alterations at

Frogmore Frogmore is an estate within the Home Park, Windsor, Home Park, adjoining Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, England. It comprises , of primarily private gardens managed by the Crown Estate. It is the location of Frogmore House, a royal retreat, and ...

for Queen Charlotte, and was made Surveyor-General of the Works. In about 1800, he was commissioned to carry out alterations to

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

which would probably have been much more considerable had it not been for

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

's illness, and in 1802 he designed for the King the " strange castellated palace" at

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...

which was remarkable for the extensive employment of

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...

in its construction. Between 1805 and 1808 Wyatt remodelled West Dean House in

West Dean, West Sussex West Dean is a village, Anglican parish and civil parish in the Chichester (district), District of Chichester in West Sussex, England north of Chichester on the A286 road just west of Singleton, West Sussex, Singleton. The parishes include t ...

. Wyatt's work was remarkable because it is built entirely of flint, even to the door and window openings, which would normally be lined with stone. In 1776, Wyatt succeeded Henry Keene as Surveyor to Westminster Abbey (in which year he was appointed Elizabeth, Countess of Home's architect on Home House, though he was sacked and replaced by

a year later). In 1782 he became, in addition, Architect of the Ordnance. The death of Sir William Chambers brought him the post of Surveyor General and Comptroller of the Works in 1796. Broadway Tower 2012

Wyatt was now the principal architect of the day, the recipient of more commissions than he could well fulfil. His widespread practice and the duties of his official posts left him little time to give proper attention to the individual needs of his clients. As early as 1790, when he was invited to submit designs for rebuilding St Chad's Church at

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

, he broke his engagements with such frequency that the committee "became at length offended, and addressed themselves to Mr. George Stewart". In 1804, Jeffry Wyatt told Farington that his uncle had lost "many great commissions" by such neglect. When approached by a new client, he would at first take the keenest interest in the commission, but when the work was about to begin he would lose interest in it and "employ himself upon trifling professional matters which others could do". His conduct of official business was no better than his treatment of his private clients, and there can be no doubt that it was Wyatt's irresponsible habits which led to the reorganization of the Board of Works after his death, as a result of which the Surveyor's office was placed in the hands of a political chief assisted by three "attached architects". Oriel College Wyatt Building

Wyatt's work is not characterized by any markedly individual style. At the time he began practice the fashionable architects were the brothers Adam, whose style of interior decoration he proceeded to imitate with such success that they complained of plagiarism in the introduction to their ''Works in Architecture'', which appeared in 1773. Many years later Wyatt himself told

that "there had been no regular architecture since Sir William Chambers – that when he came from Italy he found the public taste corrupted by the Adams, and he was obliged to comply with it". Much of Wyatt's classical work is, in fact, in a chastened Adam manner with ornaments in

Coade stone Coade stone or ''Lithodipyra'' or ''Lithodipra'' () is stoneware that was often described as an artificial stone in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was used for moulding neoclassical architecture, neoclassical statues, a ...

and

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...

-style medallions executed in many cases by the painter

Biagio Rebecca Biagio Rebecca (1731–1808) was an Italian artist, active mainly as a decorative painter in England. Life Rebecca was born at Osimo, near Ancona, in the Marches, and served his apprenticeship in Rome. In England he became known for neocl ...

, who was also employed by his rivals. It was not until towards the end of his life that he and his brother Samuel (with whom must be associated their nephew Lewis) developed the severe and fastidious style of domestic architecture which is characteristic of the Wyatt manner at its best. But among Wyatt's earlier works there are several (e.g., the Christ Church gateway and the mausoleum at Cobham) which show a familiarity with Chambers' ''Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture''. Had he been given the opportunity of designing some great public building, it is possible that he would have shown himself a true disciple of Chambers; but his career as a government architect coincided with the

Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, and his premature death deprived him of participation in the metropolitan improvements of the reign of

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

Gothic architecture

Meanwhile, Wyatt's reputation as a rival to

had been eclipsed by his celebrity as a Gothic architect. Every Georgian architect was called upon from time to time to produce designs in the medieval style, and Wyatt was by no means the first in the field. However, whereas his predecessors had merely Gothicized their elevations by the addition of battlements and pointed windows, Wyatt went further and exploited to the full the picturesque qualities of medieval architecture by irregular grouping and the addition of towers and spires to his silhouettes. Examples are his Fonthill Abbey (Wiltshire) and

Ashridge Ashridge is a Estate (land), country estate and stately home in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about north of Berkhamsted and north west of London. The estate comprises ...

(Hertfordshire); and although crude in scale and often unscholarly in detail, these houses are among the landmarks of the

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

in England. In his lifetime Wyatt enjoyed the reputation of having "revived in this country the long forgotten beauties of Gothic architecture", but the real importance of his Gothic work lay in the manner in which it bridged the gap between the rococo Gothic of the mid 18th century and the serious medievalism of the early 19th century. FonthillGallery

Saint Michael Hafod Eglwys Newydd John Fielding SN673

His work on cathedrals at

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

, Durham,

Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...

, and

was bitterly criticized by John Carter in his ''Pursuits of Architectural Innovation'', and it was due in large measure to Carter's persistent denunciation that, in 1796, Wyatt failed to secure election as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In the following year, however, he was permitted to add F.S.A. to his name by a majority of one hundred and twenty-three votes. Wyatt was elected to the

in 1785, and took an active part in the politics of the Academy. In 1803 he was one of the members of the Council which attempted to assert its independence of the General Assembly of Academicians, and when the resultant dissensions led

Benjamin West Benjamin West (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as ''The Death of Nelson (West painting), The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the ''Treaty of Paris ( ...

to resign the Presidency in the following year, it was Wyatt who was elected to take his place. But his election was never formally approved by the King, and in the following year he appears to have acquiesced in West's resumption of office. Wyatt was one of the founders of the Architects' Club in 1791, and sometimes presided at its meetings at the

Thatched House Tavern The Thatched House Tavern was an inn in the St James's district of London, England. It was located in St James's Street. It stood between 1711 and 1843, when it was demolished and the site used for the new Conservative Club, with the inn relocate ...

. In 1802, Wyatt built a new house for John Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater on the

estate in Hertfordshire which is now a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. In 1803, Thomas Johnes hired Wyatt to design Saint Michel's Hafod Church, Eglwys Newydd, in

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

, Wales.

Family and death

Wyatt died on 4 September 1813 as the result of an accident to the carriage in which he was travelling over the Marlborough Downs with his friend and employer, Christopher Bethell-Codrington of Dodington Park. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. He left a widow and four sons, of whom the eldest, Benjamin Dean, and the youngest,

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

, were notable architects. Matthew Cotes (1777–1862), the second son, became a well-known sculptor, whose best work is the bronze statue of George III in

Cockspur Street Cockspur Street is a short street in the City of Westminster, London, within which a very short part of Trafalgar Square links Charing Cross to Pall Mall/Pall Mall East at the point where that road changes name, opposite the traffic exit from ...

off

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

. Charles, the third son, was for a time in the service of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

, but returned to England in 1801; nothing is known of his later career. His nephew

Jeffry Wyatville Sir Jeffry Wyatville (3 August 1766 – 18 February 1840) was an English architect and garden designer. Born Jeffry Wyatt into an established dynasty of architects, in 1824 he was allowed by King George IV to change his surname to Wyatville ...

was a noted architect, known for the renovation of

Pupils and employees

He had many pupils, of whom the following is an incomplete list: William Atkinson; W. Blogg; H. Brown; Joseph Dixon (perhaps a son of the draughtsman); John Foster, junior of Liverpool; J. M. Gandy; C. Humfrey; Henry Kitchen; James Wright Sanderson; R. Smith; Thomas and John Westmacott; M. Wynn; and his sons Benjamin and Philip Wyatt. Michael Gandy and P. J. Gandy-Deering were also in his office for a time. Wyatt's principal draughtsman was Joseph Dixon, who, according to Farington, had been with him from the time of the building of the Pantheon.

List of architectural works

Wyatt's known works include the following.

Public buildings

* The Pantheon, Oxford St, London, 1770–1772, demolished 1937 *

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, north and east sides of the Canterbury Quad, including the gate 1773–83 *

Radcliffe Observatory Radcliffe Observatory was the astronomical observatory of the University of Oxford from 1773 until 1934, when the Radcliffe Trustees sold it and built a new observatory in Pretoria, South Africa. It is a Grade I listed building. Today, the buil ...

, Oxford, 1776–94 *

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The l ...

, redecorated the Library 1779–80 * Holywell Music Room, Oxford, remodelled interior 1780 * The Assembly Rooms, Chichester, Sussex, 1783 *

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...

, interiors of the chapel and hall 1783, the chapel was redecorated by William Burges *

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proof test, proofing, and explosives research for ...

, Woolwich, various buildings for the

Board of Ordnance The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...

, 1783–1807 *

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...

, the library and alterations to the provost's rooms 1788–91 *

Liverpool Town Hall Liverpool Town Hall stands in High Street, Liverpool, High Street at its junction with Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street, Liverpool, Water Street in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for E ...

, interiors 1783–1813 *

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

, alterations to the Hall, Chapel & Library 1789–94 *

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 126 ...

, rebuilt Hall 1790–1794, again rebuilt by Sir

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...

1872-4 *

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

, London, repairs to the chapel roof 1791 *

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

, rebuilt hall and redecorated the library 1792 *

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

, alterations to the hall and chapel 1792-5 *

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of Officer (armed forces), commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers o ...

, 1796–1805 *

Royal Artillery Barracks Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, is a barracks of the British Army which forms part of Woolwich Garrison. The Royal Regiment of Artillery had its headquarters here from 1776 until 2007, when it was moved to Larkhill Garrison. History In 171 ...

, Woolwich, 1796-7 *

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

, restoration of the House of Lords 1800–1813, burnt 1834 * Ripon Town Hall, Yorkshire, 1801 *The

King's Bench Prison The King's Bench Prison was a prison in Southwark, south London, England, from the Middle Ages until it closed in 1880. It took its name from the King's Bench court of law in which cases of defamation, bankruptcy and other misdemeanours were he ...

, London, restoration and alterations 1803–1804, demolished *The

Marshalsea The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners—including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition—it became known, ...

Prison, London, restoration and alterations 1803–1805, demolished * Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1804–1806 *The Naval Arsenal, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 1806, demolished 1829 *The Armoury, Shrewsbury 1806 *The

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...

, Berkshire, 1807–12 executed by John Sanders who modified the design, most notably using Greek Doric for the portico *Dorset House, Whitehall, London, adaptation as government offices 1808, demolished * The Market Cross,

Devizes Devizes () is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-cent ...

, Wiltshire, 1814 File:Pantheon Oxford Street edited.jpg, Pantheon Oxford St, Entrance Façade File:Pantheon painting, probably by William Hodges with figures by Zoffany edited.jpg, Pantheon Oxford St, interior File:Oriel College Senior Library.jpg, Oriel College Library, Oxford, interior File:Green Templeton College.jpg, Former Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford File:Liverpool Town Hall 3.jpg, Staircase, Liverpool Town Hall File:Liverpool Town Hall 8.jpg, Large Ballroom, Liverpool Town Hall File:Liverpool Town Hall 6.jpg, Small Ballroom, Liverpool Town Hall File:Liverpool Town Hall 15.jpg, Central Reception Room, Liverpool Town Hall File:Liverpool Town Hall 10.jpg, Detail, Dining Room, Liverpool Town Hall File:12-27-05 17 Woolwich Barracks.jpg, the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich File:Ripon Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2072.jpg, Ripon Town Hall File:RMAS18Je6-4617.jpg, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst File:London-Woolwich, Royal Arsenal, Grand Store 8.jpg, The Grand Store, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich File:2016 Woolwich, Royal Arsenal, Main Guardhouse 05.jpg, Main Guardhouses, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich File:South West Gatehouse.jpg, Royal Artillery South West Gatehouse, Woolwich File:Market Cross, Devizes 03.jpg, Market Cross, Devizes

Churches

*St. James Church, in the planned community of

Milton Abbas Milton Abbas is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, lying around southwest of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 Census the civil parish had a population of 755. This planned community was built after the old Town was demolished in the 1 ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, 1774–86 * St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, alterations 1787–1790 *

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

, restoration work 1787–93 * St Peter's Church, Manchester, 1788–94, demolished *

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Chad in Lichfield, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Lichfield, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Lichfield and the principal church of the diocese ...

, restoration 1788–95 *

Hereford Cathedral Hereford Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Hereford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Hereford and the principal church of the diocese of Hereford. The cathedral is a grade I listed building. A place of wors ...

, restoration 1788–97 * Milton Abbey, Dorset, restored Abbey church 1789–91 *

East Grinstead East Grinstead () is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the northeast corner of the county, bord ...

Church, Sussex 1789–1813 *

Durham Cathedral Durham Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham and is the Mother Church#Cathedral, mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the ...

, restoration 1795-6 * St. Kea Church, Cornwall, 1802 demolished 1895 *

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

, London, restoration work 1803 *Hafod Church, Caernarvonshire, 1803, burnt down 1931 * Weeford Church, Staffordshire, 1803 * Henry VII Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey, restoration 1807–13 *

Hanworth Hanworth is a district of West London, England. Historically in Middlesex, it has been part of the London Borough of Hounslow since 1965. Hanworth adjoins Feltham to the northwest, Twickenham to the northeast and Hampton, London, Hampton to the ...

Church, Middlesex, 1808–13, rebuilt 1865 File:St Swithun's Church, East Grinstead.jpg, St. Swithun's Church, East Grinstead File:St Mary's, Weeford.jpg, St. Mary's Weeford

London houses

*11–15

Portman Square Portman Square is a garden square in Marylebone, central London, surrounded by townhouses. It was specifically for private housing let on long leases having a ground rent by the Portman Estate, which owns the private communal gardens. It mar ...

, London, 1774 *House,

Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square ( ) is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of Westminster, Greater London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was deve ...

London, 1778-9 *9 Conduit Street, London, 1779 *Richmond House, London, addition of two rooms and staircase 1782, burnt down 1791 *1 Foley Place, London, 1783, James Wyatt's own house, demolished 1925 *Lichfield House, 15 St. James Square, London, alterations to the drawing room 1791-4 *Montague House, 22 Portman Square, London, additions 1793, bombed in Blitz 1940 *Queen's House (Buckingham Palace), London, alterations, rebuilt by John Nash 1825–1830 *22 St. James Square, London, 1803 * Old Palace Kew, London, repairs 1802–11 *New Palace Kew, London, 1802–11, never completed owing to George III's insanity, demolished 1827-8 *

Devonshire House Devonshire House in Piccadilly, was the London townhouse of the Dukes of Devonshire during the 18th and 19th centuries. Following a fire in 1733 it was rebuilt by William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, in the Palladian style, to designs ...

, London, the crystal staircase 1811–12, demolished 1924 *

Carlton House, London Carlton House, sometimes Carlton Palace, was a mansion in Westminster, best known as the town residence of George IV, during the regency era and his time as prince regent, before he took the throne as king. It faced the south side of Pall M ...

, refitted library 1812, demolished

New country houses

* Abbeyleix House, County Laois, Ireland 1773 * Gaddesden Place, Hertfordshire, 1768–73 *

, Lancashire, 1772 * Sheffield Park, Sussex, 1776 *Farnham House, Cavan, , extended by Francis Johnston, * Grove House, Roehampton, 1777 * Bryanston House, Dorset, 1778 rebuilt by

Richard Norman Shaw Richard Norman Shaw RA (7 May 1831 – 17 November 1912), also known as Norman Shaw, was a British architect who worked from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings. He is considered to be among the g ...

, 1890 *Hothfield Place, Kent, 1778–80, demolished 1954 *Badger Hall, Shropshire, 1779–1783, demolished 1952 * Roundway House, Wiltshire, 1780, partially demolished 1954 * Fornham Hall, Suffolk, 1781–1782, demolished 1957 *Lee Priory, Kent, 1782–1790, demolished 1954, a room survives in the V&A Museum * New Park, Roundway, Devizes, Wiltshire, 1783, demolished 1955 *Sudbourne Hall, Suffolk, 1784, later extended and remodelled * Sunningdale Park, Berkshire, 1785, rebuilt * Wynnstay House, Denbighshire, 1785–1788, rebuilt in the 19th century * Stansted Park, Sussex, 1786–1791, rebuilt in 1900 *Sufton Court, Herefordshire, 1788 * Ammerdown House, Kilmersdon, Somerset, 1788 *Gresford House, Denbighshire, c. 1790 * Hartham Park, Wiltshire, 1790–1795 *

Castle Coole Castle Coole (from Logainm
– Castle Coole – scanned record 2) is a

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...

, 1790–1798 * Frogmore House, Berkshire, 1792 * Sundridge Park, Kent, 1792–1795, finished by John Nash *Henham Hall, Suffolk, 1793–1797, demolished 1953 *Purley Park, Berkshire, 1795 *Bowden House,

Bowden Hill Bowden Hill is a village in Wiltshire, England, in Lacock parish about south of Chippenham and to the east of Lacock village. Bowden Hill has about 50 houses, a pub, and a small industrial estate. Origins of the name The spelling 'Bowdon Hil ...

, Wiltshire, 1796 * Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire, 1796–1813 *

Trentham Hall Trentham Estate in the village of Trentham, Staffordshire, England, is a visitor attraction on the southern fringe of the city of Stoke-on-Trent. History The estate was first recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. At the time it was a royal ...

, Staffordshire, 1797, remodelled by Sir

Charles Barry Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was an English architect best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsi ...

, demolished * Stoke Poges Park, Buckinghamshire, 1797–1802 *

Wycombe Abbey Wycombe Abbey is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private girls' boarding and day school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The school was founded in 1896 by Dame Frances Dove (1847–1942), who was previously headmistress of ...

, Buckinghamshire, c.1798 * Dodington Park, Gloucestershire, 1798–1808 * Norris Castle, Isle of Wight, 1799 * Pennsylvania Castle, Dorset, 1800 *

Cranbourne Lodge Cranbourne Lodge was a keeper's lodge for the royal hunting grounds of Cranbourne Chase, once adjoining but now part of Windsor Great Park in the England, English county of Berkshire. All that remains of it today is the Grade II* listed Cranbou ...

Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of to the south of the town of Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, Windsor, Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park ...

, 1800, demolished 1830 *Nacton House, Suffolk, 1801 * Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, 1801–1813, work continued under Rev. T. Thornton after Wyatt's death * West Dean Park, Sussex, 1804, enlarged 1893 *

, Hertfordshire, 1808–1813, completed by his nephew Sir

after Wyatt's death *House at Streatham Surrey, 1810 * Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire, 1812 File:Heaton Hall 02.jpg, Heaton Hall File:Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, Bath Lodge - geograph.org.uk - 96020.jpg, Bath Lodge, Dodington Park File:Frogmore House, Windsor Great Park - geograph.org.uk - 265497.jpg, Frogmore House File:Stoke Park Club, Stoke Poges - geograph.org.uk - 94821.jpg, Stoke Poges Park File:Fonthill cross section edited.jpg, Cross Section, Fonthill Abbey File:Fonthill hall edited.jpg, Hall, Fonthill Abbey File:Fonthill st michael's gallery edited.jpg, St Michael's gallery, Fonthill Abbey File:Fonthill AbbeyInterior of King Edward's GallerydrawnCFPordon edited.jpg, King Edward's gallery, Fonthill Abbey File:Norris Castle - East Cowes - geograph.org.uk - 545339.jpg, Norris Castle,

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

File:Belvoir Castle - geograph.org.uk - 50333.jpg, Belvoir Castle, south front File:Castle Coole Frontage.JPG, Castle Coole,

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...

File:Castle Coole Enniskillen 2009-2.jpg, Castle Coole, Enniskillen File:Castle Coole Enniskillen 2009-1.JPG, Castle Coole, Enniskillen File:Gaddesdenplace.jpg, Gaddesden Place File:Elvaston Castle 2.jpg, Elvaston Castle File:Hartham Park.jpg, Hartham Park File:Grove House.jpg, Grove House, Roehampton File:Ashridge Management College - geograph.org.uk - 83838.jpg, Entrance front, Ashridge File:Ashridge 2007-09-01 035.jpg, Garden front, Ashridge File:The College at Ashridge - geograph.org.uk - 43718.jpg, Ashridge House

Garden buildings and follies

*Folly, Temple Island, 1771 *Bridge,

Chiswick House Chiswick House is a Neo-Palladian style villa in the Chiswick district of London, England. A "glorious" example of Neo-Palladian architecture in west London, the house was designed and built by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694–1753 ...

, attributed, 1774 * Cobham Hall, Kent, Darnley Mausoleum, 1783 * Brocklesby Hall, Lincolnshire, the Mausoleum, 1787–94 *

Broadway Tower Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, an isolated

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

for Lady Coventry, 1794 * Peper Harrow, Surrey, a conservatory 1797, demolished * Croome Park, Worcestershire, various garden buildings including the Panorama Tower, 1801 * Gothic Ruin,

, date uncertain File:Cobham Darnley Mausoleum 9106.JPG, Darnley Mausoleum, Cobham, Kent File:Panorama Tower at Croome Park - geograph.org.uk - 59476.jpg, Panorama Tower, Croome Park File:Henley regatta temple island.jpg, Folly, Temple Island File:Broadway tower edit4.jpg, Broadway tower File:The Neoclassical Bridge.jpg, Bridge Chiswick House

Alterations to country houses

Fawley Court Fawley Court is a country house, with large mixed-use grounds standing on the west bank of the River Thames at Fawley, Buckinghamshire, Fawley in the English county of Buckinghamshire. Its former estate once encompassed both adjacent Phyllis Cou ...

, Oxfordshire, internal alterations 1771 * Cobham Hall, Kent, alterations and additions, 1771–81, 1789–93, 1801–12 *

Crichel House Crichel House is a Grade I listed Classical Revival country house near the village of Moor Crichel in Dorset, England. The house has an entrance designed by Thomas Hopper (architect), Thomas Hopper and interiors by James Wyatt. It is surrounded ...

, Dorset, interior alterations 1773 * Charlton Park, Wiltshire, alterations 1774 * Aubrey House, Notting Hill, London, alterations 1774 * Shardeloes, Buckinghamshire, alterations to library, and garden buildings (demolished) 1774 *

Copped Hall Copped Hall, also known as Copt Hall or Copthall, is a mid-18th-century English country house close to Waltham Abbey, Essex, which has been undergoing restoration since 1999. Today, Copped Hall refers to the upstanding house, while Copt Hal ...

, Essex redecoration of Library, burnt out in 1917 * Milton Abbey, Dorset, interior decoration 1775-6 *

Belton House Belton House is a Grade I listed country house in the parish of Belton near Grantham in Lincolnshire, England, built between 1685 and 1687 by Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet. It is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues lead ...

, Lincolnshire, Library & Boudoir 1776-7 * Burton Constable Hall, Yorkshire, West Drawing Room & Entrance Lodges, 1776-8 *

, the interiors & orangery, plus the Rectory & Huntingfield Hall (a farm) 1776–84 * Blagdon Hall, Northumberland, internal alterations 1778, Lodges to park 1787 & stables 1789–91 * Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, alterations and interiors 1780 * Sandleford Priory, Berkshire, alterations and additions 1780-6 * Pishobury Park, Hertfordshire, reconstruction of an older house after a fire 1782-4 * Plas Newydd, Anglesey, alterations & enlargements 1783–95 and 1811 * Gunton Hall, Norfolk, enlargement 1785, partially demolished *

Leinster House Leinster House () is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Duke of Leinster, Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it has been a complex of buildings which houses Oirea ...

, Dublin, decoration of the gallery 1785 *Cremore House, Chelsea, alterations 1785–1788, demolished *

Goodwood House Goodwood House is a country house and estate covering in Westhampnett, Chichester, West Sussex, England and is the seat of the Duke of Richmond. The house was built in about 1600 and is a Grade I listed building. Description The house and it ...

, Sussex, enlargements, kennels & dower house, 1787–1806 *

Powderham Castle Powderham Castle is a fortified manor house in Exminster, Devon, south of Exeter and mile (0.4 km) north-east of the village of Kenton, where the main public entrance gates are located. It is a Grade I listed building. The park and gar ...

, addition of music room 1788 *

Soho House Soho House is a museum run by Birmingham Museums Trust, celebrating Matthew Boulton's life, his partnership with James Watt, his membership of the Lunar Society of Birmingham and his contribution to the Midlands Enlightenment and the Indust ...

, Birmingham, alterations, additions and interiors 1790s *

Felbrigg Hall Felbrigg Hall is a 17th-century English country house near the village of that name in Norfolk. Part of a National Trust property, the unaltered 17th-century house is noted for its Jacobean architecture and fine Georgian interior. Outside ...

, Norfolk, alterations 1791–1804 *

Auckland Castle Auckland Castle, also known as Auckland Palace, is a former bishop's palace located in the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England. The castle was a residence of the Bishop of Durham, bishops of Durham from approximately 1183 and was ...

, County Durham, Gothic screen, inner gateway, processional route, Chapel, and Throne Room c.1795 *

Corsham Court Corsham Court is an English country house in a park designed by Capability Brown. It is in the town of Corsham, 3 miles (5 km) west of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and is notable for its fine art collection, based on the nucleus of painting ...

, Wiltshire, alterations 1796 * Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, alterations 1796–1800 *

, Berkshire, alterations and interiors 1796–1800 *Canwell Hall, Staffordshire, added wings and interiors, 1798, demolished 1911 * Swinton Park, Yorkshire, North Wing 1798 *

Cassiobury House Cassiobury House was a English country house, country house in Cassiobury Park, Watford, England. It was the family seat, ancestral seat of the Earl of Essex, Earls of Essex. Originally a Tudor building, dating from 1546 for Sir Richard Morrison ...

, Hertfordshire, alterations & additions 1799 *

Wilton House Wilton House is an English country house at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, which has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years. It was built on the site of the medieval Wilton Abbey. Following the dissolution ...

, Wiltshire, alterations 1801–11 * Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire, 1807, rebuilt by Benjamin Ferrey 1862 * Swinton Park, Yorkshire, south wing 1813 * Chicksands Priory, Bedfordshire, alterations 1813–14 * Ardbraccan House, County Meath, Ireland, preliminary design of central block 1773 *Draycot House

Draycot Cerne Draycot Cerne (Draycott) is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sutton Benger, in Wiltshire, England, about north of Chippenham. History The parish was referred to as ''Draicote'' (Medieval Latin) in the ancient D ...

, Wiltshire, design for a ceiling and bracket for a bust by

Joseph Wilton Joseph Wilton (16 July 1722 – 25 November 1803) was an English sculptor. He was one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768, and the academy's third keeper. His works are particularly numerous memorialising the famous Britons ...

1784 File:Goodwood House.jpg, Goodwood House File:Powderham Castle Music Room 01.jpg, Powderham Castle, Music Room File:Powderham Castle Music Room 02.jpg, Powderham Castle, Music Room File:Ragley Hall Panorama Front.JPG, Ragley Hall, with portico added 1780 by Wyatt File:Auckland Castle Crop.jpg, Auckland Castle, County Durham

Drawings

Few original drawings by Wyatt are known to be in existence: but in the

RIBA ''Riba'' (, or , ) is an Arabic word used in Islamic law and roughly translated as " usury": unjust, exploitative gains made in trade or business. ''Riba'' is mentioned and condemned in several different verses in the Qur'an3:130

library there are designs by him for Badger Hall, Fonthill Abbey,

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 950 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to the university between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the oldest of ...

, and Ashridge Park. The Royal Academy has drawings for the mausoleums at Brocklesby Park and Cobham Hall. An album of Wyatt's sketches, in the possession of the Vicomte de Noailles, contains designs for chandeliers, torchères, vases, a plan for Lord Courtown, and more . Those for

Slane Castle Slane Castle () is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland. The castle has been the family seat of the Conyngham family since it was built in the late 18th century, on land first purchased in 1703 by ...

are in the Murray Collection of the

National Library of Ireland The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ) is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is "To collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the ...

Portrayals

There is a portrait in the

library, and a pencil portrait by George Dance is in the Library of the

. The

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

has a bronze bust of Wyatt by John Charles Felix Rossi.

Footnotes

References

* (1954): ''A Biographical Dictionary of English Architects, 1660–1840'', Harvard, pp. 722 and onwards. * (2012): ''Woolwich –

Survey of London The Survey of London is a research project to produce a comprehensive architectural survey of central London and its suburbs, or the area formerly administered by the London County Council. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Robert Ashbee, an A ...

, Volume 48'', Yale Books, London.
online text

External links

* *

the website for resources on the life and work of William Beckford of Fonthill.
James Wyatt & the Palace of Westminster – UK Parliament Living Heritage

Packington Hall, Home of Rev. Thomas Levett, Whittington, Staffordshire, ca 1900
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyatt, James 18th-century English architects British neoclassical architects Deaths by horse-riding accident in England 1746 births 1813 deaths Royal Academicians Road incident deaths in England Burials at Westminster Abbey Architects from Staffordshire James