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Richard Lane (architect)
Encyclopedia
Richard Lane was a distinguished English
architect
of the early and mid 19th century. Born in London
and based in Manchester
, he was known in great part for his restrained and austere Greek-inspired
classicism
. He also designed a few buildings – mainly churches – in the Gothic
style. He was also known for masterplanning and designing many of the houses of the exclusive Victoria Park
estate.
and in 1817, he began studying at the famous École des Beaux-Arts
in Paris
, and was a pupil of the French architect, Achille Leclère
, who made a noted restoration of the Pantheon
in 1813.
(as was). Much of Lane's work was civic and governmental in nature, and he was commissioned to design a town hall just off Chapel St for the Salford local government in 1825.
Later, in 1830, the Chorlton Row Police Commissioners – essentially the administrative body of the Chorlton Row township
– commissioned Lane to design them a town hall on Cavendish Street. The Chorlton Town Hall was built by David Bellhouse
; Lane and Bellhouse would later work together on other projects. Indeed, Lane had a close connection with the Bellhouse family, with Lane transferring his share in the Portico Library
to David Bellhouse's son, Edward Taylor Bellhouse in 1834. The old town hall is now used by Manchester Metropolitan University
.
Lane's notable ecclesiastical structures include the Royal Chapel of St John the Baptist, St John's, Isle of Man
—built after Lane's design won an architectural competition set up by the church authorities. The chapel is the national church of the Isle of Man, and functions as the seat of parliament
for one day
of the year; St George's Church, Chester Road (with Francis Goodwin
); the Church of St Mary with St Peter, Church Street, Oldham; and appropriately, the Friends' Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester.
, who was articled to Lane and Alley in 1845. Other distinguished students to complete articles under Richard Lane include the architect, archaeologist, and writer Richard Popplewell Pullan; and the theatre architect, amateur actor
, writer, and a former vice-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
, Alfred Darbyshire
, who developed what was known as the 'Irving-Darbyshire Safety Theatre' with his friend, the actor Henry Irving
.
, Berkshire
on the 25 May 1880, at the age of 85.
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...
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...
of the early and mid 19th century. Born 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...
and based in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, he was known in great part for his restrained and austere Greek-inspired
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
classicism
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
. He also designed a few buildings – mainly churches – in the Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. He was also known for masterplanning and designing many of the houses of the exclusive Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Manchester
Victoria Park is an suburban area of Manchester, England. Victoria Park lies approximately 3 kilometres south of Manchester city centre, between Rusholme and Longsight.It is east of Wilmslow Road and west of Anson Road.-History and description:...
estate.
Early life and education
Not much is known about Lane's early life, but he was born and educated in London, was a QuakerReligious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
and in 1817, he began studying at the famous École des Beaux-Arts
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.The École des Beaux-arts is made up of a vast complex of buildings located at 14 rue Bonaparte, between the quai Malaquais and the rue Bonaparte, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près,...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and was a pupil of the French architect, Achille Leclère
Achille-François-René Leclère
Achille-François-René Leclère was a French architect and teacher of architecture.Achille Leclère studied architecture under Charles Percier and Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand. After finishing his studies, he won the 1808 Premier Grand Prix de Rome where the final round topic was, "Public baths in...
, who made a noted restoration of the Pantheon
Pantheon, Rome
The Pantheon ,Rarely Pantheum. This appears in Pliny's Natural History in describing this edifice: Agrippae Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis; in columnis templi eius Caryatides probantur inter pauca operum, sicut in fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci minus celebrata.from ,...
in 1813.
Work and professional life
After Paris, Lane moved to Manchester in 1821, set up practice and was appointed Land Surveyor to the Police Commissioners of Chorlton RowChorlton-on-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, the northern border of Chorlton-on-Medlock is the River Medlock which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre. Its other borders roughly correspond to Stockport Road, Hathersage Road, Moss...
(as was). Much of Lane's work was civic and governmental in nature, and he was commissioned to design a town hall just off Chapel St for the Salford local government in 1825.
Later, in 1830, the Chorlton Row Police Commissioners – essentially the administrative body of the Chorlton Row township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
– commissioned Lane to design them a town hall on Cavendish Street. The Chorlton Town Hall was built by David Bellhouse
David Bellhouse
David Bellhouse was an English builder who did much to shape Victorian era Manchester, both physically and socially.Born in Leeds, Bellhouse received no formal education. An autodidact, he taught himself to read and write and the elements of arithmetic and technical drawing...
; Lane and Bellhouse would later work together on other projects. Indeed, Lane had a close connection with the Bellhouse family, with Lane transferring his share in the Portico Library
Portico Library
The Portico Library on Mosley Street, Manchester is a subscription library built in the Greek Revival style between 1802-1806. It is a Grade II* listed building as at 25 February 1952....
to David Bellhouse's son, Edward Taylor Bellhouse in 1834. The old town hall is now used by Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
.
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
—built after Lane's design won an architectural competition set up by the church authorities. The chapel is the national church of the Isle of Man, and functions as the seat of parliament
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
for one day
Tynwald Day
Tynwald Day is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually occurring on 5 July.On this day the Isle's legislature, Tynwald, meets at St John's, instead of its usual meeting place, Douglas. The session is held partly in the Royal Chapel of St John the Baptist and partly in the open air on the...
of the year; St George's Church, Chester Road (with Francis Goodwin
Francis Goodwin
Francis Goodwin was an English architect, best known for his many provincial churches in the Gothic revival style, civic buildings such as the first Manchester Town Hall and Macclesfield town hall , plus country houses such as Lissadell House, County Sligo .Goodwin was born at King's Lynn,...
); the Church of St Mary with St Peter, Church Street, Oldham; and appropriately, the Friends' Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester.
The Manchester Architectural Society
By the 1830s, Richard Lane was undoubtedly Manchester's most prominent architect and in 1837, he was one of the founders – and was the first president of – the Manchester Architectural Society. This was Manchester's first architectural learned society.Students
A number of distinguished students were apprenticed to the practice of Richard Lane and Peter B. Alley; the most notable and celebrated being fellow Quaker, Alfred WaterhouseAlfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
, who was articled to Lane and Alley in 1845. Other distinguished students to complete articles under Richard Lane include the architect, archaeologist, and writer Richard Popplewell Pullan; and the theatre architect, amateur actor
Amateur theatre
Amateur theatre is theatre performed by amateur actors. These actors are not typically members of Actors' Equity groups or Actors' Unions as these organizations exist to protect the professional industry and therefore discourage their members from appearing with companies which are not a signatory...
, writer, and a former vice-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
, Alfred Darbyshire
Alfred Darbyshire
-Education and career:Alfred Darbyshire was born in Salford to William Darbyshire, the manager of a dyeworks, and his wife Mary née Bancroft. He was a nephew of George Bradshaw, the compiler of railway guides. He went to a succession of Quaker schools and was then articled to the architects'...
, who developed what was known as the 'Irving-Darbyshire Safety Theatre' with his friend, the actor Henry Irving
Henry Irving
Sir Henry Irving , born John Henry Brodribb, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility for season after season at the Lyceum Theatre, establishing himself and his company as...
.
Later life
Richard Lane died in AscotAscot, Berkshire
Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
on the 25 May 1880, at the age of 85.
Ecclesiastical
- Royal Chapel of St John the Baptist – St John's, Isle of ManIsle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
(1847–1849. The national church of the Isle of Man and functions as the seat of parliamentTynwaldThe Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
for one day of the year) - Church of St Mary with St PeterOldham Parish ChurchThe Oldham Parish Church of St. Mary with St. Peter is the Church of England parish church for Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It forms part of the Diocese of Manchester, and is one of several Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester....
– Church Street, OldhamOldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
(1827–1830. Grade II* listed. Chosen in favour of a rival design by Sir Charles BarryCharles BarrySir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
) - Church of St Thomas – Church Lane, HenburyHenbury, CheshireHenbury is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census, the entire civil parish had a population of 594....
(1844–1845. Grade II listed) - Church of St GeorgeChurch of St George, Chester Road, HulmeThe Church of St George, Chester Road, Hulme, Manchester is an early Gothic Revival church by Francis Goodwin, built in 1826-8. It was restored in 1884 by J. S. Crowther...
(1826–1828). Grade II* listed. Designed with Francis GoodwinFrancis GoodwinFrancis Goodwin was an English architect, best known for his many provincial churches in the Gothic revival style, civic buildings such as the first Manchester Town Hall and Macclesfield town hall , plus country houses such as Lissadell House, County Sligo .Goodwin was born at King's Lynn,...
. Now converted into apartments) - Church of St Thomas – Broad Street, PendletonPendleton, Greater ManchesterPendleton is an inner city area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is about from Manchester city centre. The A6 dual carriageway skirts the east of the district....
, Salford (1829–1831. Grade II listed. Designed with Francis Goodwin) - Church of St John the Evangelist – Murray Street, BroughtonBroughton, Greater ManchesterBroughton is an inner city area of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the east bank of the River Irwell and A56 road, in the northeastern part of the City of Salford, north-northwest of Manchester city centre and south of Prestwich. Broughton consists of Broughton Park, Higher...
, Salford (1836–1839. Grade II listed) - Friends' Meeting House – Mount Street, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
(1828–1830. Grade II listed)
Governmental and civic
- Salford Town Hall – Bexley Square, Salford (1825–1827. Grade II listed. Now functions as a Magistrates' CourtMagistrates' CourtA magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
) - Chorlton Town Hall – Cavendish Street, Manchester (1830–1831. Grade II listed. Only the façade remains of the original building. Now the refectory of Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
) - Great Bolton Exchange and Library – Victoria Square, BoltonBoltonBolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
(1825–1829. Grade II listed. Has been a museum of natural history and is now offices and a branch of the Nationwide Building Society)
Hospitals
- Manchester Royal InfirmaryManchester Royal InfirmaryThe Manchester Royal Infirmary is a hospital in Manchester, England which was founded by Charles White in 1752 as a cottage hospital capable of caring for twelve patients. Manchester Royal Infirmary is part of a larger NHS Trust incorporating several hospitals called Central Manchester University...
refacing and extension – on what is now Piccadilly GardensPiccadilly GardensPiccadilly Gardens is a green space in Manchester city centre, England, situated at one end of Market Street and on the edge of the Northern Quarter...
(1834. Demolished in 1914 to make way for the gardens) - Manchester Royal Lunatic Asylum – Wilmslow Road, Cheadle HulmeCheadle HulmeCheadle Hulme is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southwest of Stockport and southeast of the city of Manchester. It lies in the Ladybrook Valley on the Cheshire Plain, and the drift consists mostly of boulder clay, sands and gravels...
(1848–1849. Grade II listed. Still a psychiatric hospital, but, for modern sensibilities, renamed many years ago to the more palatable Cheadle Royal HospitalCheadle Royal HospitalCheadle Royal Hospital, originally the Manchester Royal Lunatic Asylum, is a psychiatric hospital situated on Wilmslow Road in Cheadle Royal, an area between the villages of Heald Green and Cheadle. Built between 1848-1849, the main building is Grade II listed and was designed by Richard Lane in...
. It is an important early example of the Victorian asylum system. Designed in the Elizabethan styleElizabethan architectureElizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
) - Stockport Infirmary – Wellington Road South, StockportStockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
(1832. Grade II listed)
Educational
- Wesleyan Theological College – Wilmslow Road, DidsburyDidsburyDidsbury is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre, in the southern half of the Greater Manchester Urban Area...
, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. (1842. Grade II* listed. Now the Didsbury School of EducationDidsbury School of EducationThe Didsbury College of Education, Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, England, is a campus of Manchester Metropolitan University. Originally a "handsome house of 1790", the building was massively expanded for use as a Wesleyan training college in the 19th century and then became a school of...
– the school of education of Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
) - West Riding Proprietary SchoolQueen Elizabeth Grammar School, WakefieldQueen Elizabeth Grammar School is an independent school in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. QEGS is distinct from most other schools in that it was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1591 at the request of leading citizens in Wakefield 75 in total and some of whom formed the...
– WakefieldWakefieldWakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
(1833–1834. Grade II listed) - Henshaw's Bluecoat SchoolThe Blue Coat School, OldhamThe Blue Coat School is a mixed gender Church of England Academy for 11–18 year olds, located in the town of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England....
– Egerton Street, Oldham (1829–1834. Grade II listed) - Henshaw's Blind Asylum – Stretford Road, Old TraffordOld TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
(1837. Demolished in 1972 to make way for Greater Manchester Police's headquarters)
Residential
- Victoria ParkVictoria Park, ManchesterVictoria Park is an suburban area of Manchester, England. Victoria Park lies approximately 3 kilometres south of Manchester city centre, between Rusholme and Longsight.It is east of Wilmslow Road and west of Anson Road.-History and description:...
estate – RusholmeRusholme-Etymology:Rusholme, unlike other areas of Manchester which have '-holme' in the place name is not a true '-holme'. Its name came from ryscum, which is the dative plural of Old English rysc "rush": "[at the] rushes"...
, Manchester (1830s 'gated community'. Lane laid out the roads and sewers and designed many of the residences. The area is still residential, but all of the mansions have now been converted to hotels, educational establishments and nursing homes) - Bowden Hall – Bowden Lane, Chapel-en-le-FrithChapel-en-le-FrithChapel-en-le-Frith is a small town in Derbyshire, England, on the edge of the Peak District near the border with Cheshire, from Manchester. Dubbed "The Capital of the Peak District", the settlement was established by the Normans in the 12th century, originally as a hunting lodge within the Forest...
(1844. Grade II listed. A country hall)
Further reading
- Clare Hartwell (2004). Lane, Richard (1795–1880) (subscription or membership of a British library required). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
- Clare Hartwell (2007). Manchester and the Golden Age of Pericles. Richard Lane, Architect. Clare Hartwell & Terry Wyke (editors), Making Manchester. Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, ISBN 978-0-900942-01-3