Thomas Holt (c. 1578 – 1624), was a 17th-century 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 ...

who designed a number of buildings at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...

. Holt, a master carpenterTyack, 1998, page 88 and architect from either Halifax or York, is notable for designing important works in

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought ...

built at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

. He designed the whole structure of

Wadham College Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy ...

, which was built between 1610 and 1613. As a master carpenter he was responsible for the

hammerbeam roof A hammerbeam roof is a decorative, open timber roof truss typical of English Gothic architecture and has been called "...the most spectacular endeavour of the English Medieval carpenter". They are traditionally timber framed, using short beams pr ...

of the Hall. From 1613 onwards he designed the great quadrangle of the examination schools there, now part of the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the sec ...

, introducing some new architectural features. Holt completed the schools quadrangle in 1624,Tyack, 1998, page 93 the year of his death. Other buildings at Oxford are ascribed to him with less certainty, though he probably prepared designs for many of them. Holt is registered as a privileged person in the university, aged 40, on 30 October 1618; he is described as ''"Faberlignarius Coll. Novi"''. He died on 9 September 1624, and was buried in the churchyard of Holywell parish church, Oxford, where a monument was erected in his memory. His daughter married Dr. Samuel Radcliffe, principal of

Brasenose College Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the 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 library and chapel were added in the m ...

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;Attribution * 1570s births 1624 deaths 17th-century English architects 16th-century English people Architects from Yorkshire English carpenters {{England-architect-stub