Michael Searles
Encyclopedia
Regency
architect
Michael Searles (1750–1813) was famous as an English
commercial architect of large houses, particularly in London
. His most notable achievement is perhaps The Paragon in Blackheath
.
Searles was the son of a Greenwich surveyor, also named Michael Searles (c.1722-1799), who served (from 1765) as surveyor to Morden College
in Blackheath. The Searles formed an unofficial father and son partnership producing plans in and around Greenwich before Searles junior set up his own practice.
Landowner John Cator
granted development leases to Searles and builder William Dyer to design and build a series of high quality dwellings, intended to appeal to upper middle class buyers, situated on the south-east side of Blackheath. Facing the heath, South Row and Montpelier Row were erected from 1794 to 1805.
However, Searles' masterpiece was the adjacent Paragon, a 14-house perfect crescent occupying a semicircular plot in the corner of the Heath. The Paragon (today Grade 1 listed buildings) comprises seven blocks of semi-detached houses, each linked by a single story colonnade, with a lodge house at each end. Each house was different internally: Searles would provide the buyer with a brick shell which could then be fitted out to suit the buyer’s tastes and budget. However, the scheme nearly ruined Searles financially; the development took ten years to build, with the last house not occupied until 1805.
Apart from his own home at 155 Old Kent Road
, other London works include:
He built another Paragon before 1787 on the south side of New Kent Road
, near the junction with Old Kent Road. This consisted of six blocks of semi-detached houses linked by a single-story colonnade. It was later extended to a complete semicircle fronting New Kent Road by the addition of a pair of houses at each end. It was demolished in the 1890s to be replaced by more modest housing and a Council school, which has since been converted into apartments and been given the name The Paragon.
English Regency
The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811—when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent—and 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV on the death of his father....
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Michael Searles (1750–1813) was famous as an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
commercial architect of large houses, particularly in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His most notable achievement is perhaps The Paragon in Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
.
Searles was the son of a Greenwich surveyor, also named Michael Searles (c.1722-1799), who served (from 1765) as surveyor to Morden College
Morden College
Morden College is a long-standing charity which has been providing residential care in Blackheath, south-east London, England for over 300 years.It was founded by philanthropist Sir John Morden in 1695 as a home for 'poor Merchants.....
in Blackheath. The Searles formed an unofficial father and son partnership producing plans in and around Greenwich before Searles junior set up his own practice.
Landowner John Cator
John Cator
John Cator was a wealthy timber merchant and landowner responsible for the layout of much of the areas around Blackheath and Beckenham, both in London — and both of which were in the county of Kent during the late 18th century.The son of a Herefordshire timber merchant and Quaker, Cator...
granted development leases to Searles and builder William Dyer to design and build a series of high quality dwellings, intended to appeal to upper middle class buyers, situated on the south-east side of Blackheath. Facing the heath, South Row and Montpelier Row were erected from 1794 to 1805.
However, Searles' masterpiece was the adjacent Paragon, a 14-house perfect crescent occupying a semicircular plot in the corner of the Heath. The Paragon (today Grade 1 listed buildings) comprises seven blocks of semi-detached houses, each linked by a single story colonnade, with a lodge house at each end. Each house was different internally: Searles would provide the buyer with a brick shell which could then be fitted out to suit the buyer’s tastes and budget. However, the scheme nearly ruined Searles financially; the development took ten years to build, with the last house not occupied until 1805.
Apart from his own home at 155 Old Kent Road
Old Kent Road
The Old Kent Road is a road in South East London, England and forms part of Watling Street, the Roman road which ran from Dover to Holyhead. The street is famous as the equal cheapest property on the London Monopoly board and as the only one in South London....
, other London works include:
- Deptford Union, 70-82 Blackheath Road [Grade 2 Listed] (1786)
- 31 Blackheath Hill, London SE10
- Marlborough House, 317 Kennington RoadKennington RoadKennington Road is a long straight road, approximately a mile in length, in the London Borough of Lambeth in London, England, running south from Westminster Bridge Road to Kennington Park Road....
, KenningtonKenningtonKennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
(c 1787) - 114-132 Kennington Park Road (1790)
- 23 Champion Hill, CamberwellCamberwellCamberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
(1791) - south part of Gloucester Circus crescent, GreenwichGreenwichGreenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
(1791-1809) - Surrey Square, WalworthWalworth, LondonWalworth is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Southwark. Walworth probably derives its name from the Old English "Wealhworth" which meant Welsh farm. It is located south east of Charing Cross and near to Camberwell and Elephant and Castle.The major streets in Walworth are the Old...
(c. 1793) - a terrace in SouthgateSouthgate, LondonSouthgate is an area of north London, England, primarily within the London Borough of Enfield, although parts of its western fringes lie within the London Borough of Barnet. It is located around north of Charing Cross. The name is derived from being the south gate to Enfield Chase...
Green, north London
He built another Paragon before 1787 on the south side of New Kent Road
New Kent Road
New Kent Road is a road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road was created in 1751 when the Turnpike Trust upgraded a local footpath. This was done as part of the general road improvements associated with the creation of Westminster Bridge; in effect it was possible to travel from the West...
, near the junction with Old Kent Road. This consisted of six blocks of semi-detached houses linked by a single-story colonnade. It was later extended to a complete semicircle fronting New Kent Road by the addition of a pair of houses at each end. It was demolished in the 1890s to be replaced by more modest housing and a Council school, which has since been converted into apartments and been given the name The Paragon.