T. Lawrence Dale
Encyclopedia
Thomas Lawrence Dale, FRIBA
, FSA (known as T.L. Dale, T. Lawrence Dale or Lawrence Dale) was an English architect. Until the First World War
he concentrated on designing houses for private clients. From the 1930s Dale was the Oxford Diocesan
Surveyor and was most noted for designing, restoring, and furnishing Church of England parish church
es.
in Hampstead
. He began his architectural training at the Architectural Association School of Architecture
in 1900, was articled
to Charles Ponting
in Marlborough, Wiltshire 1901–04, and served as assistant to the architect Edmund Buckle 1904–06. Dale passed his architect's qualifying examination in 1906 and was admitted as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
(ARIBA) in 1907.
Before the First World War, Dale lived in Bedford Park
in west London. By the outbreak of that war he had his own practice at 40 Great James Street, off Bedford Row, London WC1. In the war he was commissioned as an officer in an infantry battalion, but when he was placed in reserve he successfully applied to transfer to the Army Cyclist Corps
in order to see active service. He rose to the rank of Captain and was mentioned in despatches.
After the war, Dale moved to Banbury
where designed a housing estate for Banbury Rural District
Council. In the 1920s Dale spent "a delightful year" working on "an exceedingly complicated planning problem" as a competitor in a worldwide architectural competition to design the new Freemasons' Grand Temple
in Great Queen Street
in London. Dale came second, for which he won "a large prize".
Some time thereafter he moved to Oxford
, where he designed the modest neo-Georgian house that was built for him and his family at 358 Woodstock Road
. He later moved again to 4 Bradmore Road on the Victorian
Norham Manor
estate.
Dale served as Oxford Diocesan
Surveyor for 23 years. He designed at least four parish church
es that were built in or near Oxford. He also designed restoration work or new furnishings for a number of parish churches; most of them in Oxfordshire
, plus one in Warwickshire
.
Dale's death in 1959 was reported in The Times
. Harry Carpenter, Bishop of Oxford
, assisted at his funeral.
Dale's elder son Thomas Simon Savage Dale (known as Simon Dale) was born in 1919 and also became an architect. They practised together as Dale and Son. In 1957 Simon Dale married Susan Wilberforce, a descendant of William Wilberforce
, and moved with her to Hopton Castle
, Shropshire
. Lawrence Dale died in 1959 and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery
near his home in Oxford. Simon Dale later lost his sight, was divorced in 1972, and in 1987 was beaten to death at The Heath, the house that he and Susan had restored at Hopton Castle.
houses in Hampstead Garden Suburb
, one of which has been described as "an excellent house of the Lutyens
school". Horn Park, a country house
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-west of Beaminster
, Dorset
, is Dale's largest and perhaps most significant house design. It is a symmetrical neo-Georgian
building of five bays
and two storeys, completed in 1911. Its central corridor is barrel vault
ed and leads to a drawing room whose groin vault
is reminiscent of the work of Sir John Soane
(1753–1837). The house is Listed Grade II.
Lawrence and Simon Dale together designed Ickford
Village Hall
(1946). The roof and almost all of the walls are hung with wooden shingles
, possibly in response to the shortage of many types of building material after the Second World War
.
. However, whereas Ponting continued to work in the Gothic Revival
idiom long after it had passed out of fashion, Dale adopted Italianate architecture
for his churches.
Dale designed at least four parish churches for the Diocese of Oxford
. The first, St. Francis of Assisi, Cowley (1930–31), was built on a site provided by Morris Motors as a temporary daughter church
of St. James, Cowley. It was made a permanent church and dedicated in 1962. St. Francis' is a simple building with only a small chancel
. Dale's second church, St. Alban the Martyr, Oxford (1933), replaced a chapel of ease
that had been built for St. Mary and St. John parish church in 1889. St. Alban's is a relatively low building for its length and is limited by a narrow corner site. He also designed "halls" – possibly mission halls – for the parishes of St. Nicholas, Marston
and St. James, Cowley.
Dale's churches built after the Second World War
were more ambitious. St. Michael and All Angels, New Marston
(1954–56), was built as a chapel of ease for St. Andrew's parish church, Headington
. It is more substantial in scale and has a statue of St. Michael by Michael Groser and a reredos
painted by Leon Underwood
. St. Michael's is described as being in a "vaguely Italian renaissance style" but the building is slightly limited by its corner site. Dale's final church, St. Swithun, Kennington
(1956–58), is in a spacious churchyard that allowed Dale the space to use a more spacious cruciform plan.
Most of Dale's churches share common features: a tympanum
with bas-reliefs over the main door, pantiled
roofs, an Italianate pent-roofed chimney for the boiler and in some cases a baldachin
over the main altar and a pantiled bell-cot
on the west gable. With the exception of St. Francis of Assisi (which is stucco
ed) they are built of a modern buff brick that contrasts with traditional building materials in this part of England. The tympanum at St. Alban the Martyr was carved by John Brookes, then Principal of Oxford City Technical College. St. Francis' has also a set of Stations of the Cross
carved by Eric Gill
.
.
"but the traffic there was shocking" so he gave up his office and practised from home.
In September 1941 Dale published a six-page pamphlet called Christ Church Mall: a Diversion in which he proposed a relief road skirting the south side of Christ Church Meadow
along the bank of the River Thames
to link Abingdon Road
and Iffley Road
to bypass High Street
.
In 1944 Dale expanded on his proposals into a 60-page book, Towards a Plan for Oxford City, illustrated with some of his own watercolours. In it he reiterated his "Christ Church Mall" road proposal and proposed extensive redevelopment of St. Clement's
and St. Ebbes.
In 1946 the County Borough of Oxford
commissioned Thomas Sharp
to make proposals to relieve Oxford's traffic and re-plan parts of the city. In 1948 Sharp published his report as a book, Oxford Replanned, in which he paid tribute:
However, Sharp also thought that Dale's "Christ Church Mall" would be too indirect, particularly for traffic from Headington Hill
and Marston Road
. Sharp instead proposed a road across the northern side of Christ Church Meadow, which he called "Merton Mall" as it would have passed very close to Merton College
.
The Times
also commended Dale for "presenting his case with architectural vision, wit and eloquence" in Towards a Plan for Oxford City, and quoted Dale's vision that "a finely designed parkway" would be "A beautiful road between the Towers and the Thames severally dreaming and streaming".
In 1956 the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation held an enquiry at which Dale continued to make his case. Dale told the enquiry:
Dale cited in his support Professor Sir Albert Richardson
, then president of the Royal Academy
, who "had said, in 1944, that Christ Church Meadow would suffer no detriment if skirted by a tree-lined road".
Sharp's proposal was the subject of more than 20 years of political and public debate and protest. Neither Sharp's nor Dale's proposed road was ever built.
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:...
, FSA (known as T.L. Dale, T. Lawrence Dale or Lawrence Dale) was an English architect. Until the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he concentrated on designing houses for private clients. From the 1930s Dale was the Oxford Diocesan
Diocese of Oxford
-History:The Diocese of Oxford was created in 1541 out of part of the Diocese of Lincoln.In 1836 the Archdeaconry of Berkshire was transferred from the Diocese of Salisbury to Oxford...
Surveyor and was most noted for designing, restoring, and furnishing Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
es.
Training and career
Dale was born in London, where he was educated at University College SchoolUniversity College School
University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views...
in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
. He began his architectural training at the Architectural Association School of Architecture
Architectural Association School of Architecture
The Architectural Association School of Architecture, more usually known as the AA, is an architectural school in London, United Kingdom...
in 1900, was articled
Articled clerk
An articled clerk, also known as an articling student, is an apprentice in a professional firm in Commonwealth countries. Generally the term arises in the accountancy profession and in the legal profession. The articled clerk signs a contract, known as "articles of clerkship", committing to a...
to Charles Ponting
Charles Ponting
Charles Edwin Ponting, F.S.A., was a Gothic Revival architect who practised in Marlborough, Wiltshire.-Career:Ponting began his architectural career in 1864 in the office of the architect Samuel Overton. He was agent for Meux brewing family's estate from 1870 until 1888...
in Marlborough, Wiltshire 1901–04, and served as assistant to the architect Edmund Buckle 1904–06. Dale passed his architect's qualifying examination in 1906 and was admitted as an Associate 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:...
(ARIBA) in 1907.
Before the First World War, Dale lived in Bedford Park
Bedford Park
Bedford Park is the name of several places around the world:*In Australia:** Bedford Park, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide*In Canada:** Bedford Park, Toronto, Ontario, a neighborhood of Toronto*In the United Kingdom...
in west London. By the outbreak of that war he had his own practice at 40 Great James Street, off Bedford Row, London WC1. In the war he was commissioned as an officer in an infantry battalion, but when he was placed in reserve he successfully applied to transfer to the Army Cyclist Corps
Army Cyclist Corps
The Army Cyclist Corps was a corps of the British Army active during the First World War, and controlling the Army's bicycle infantry.Volunteer cyclist units had been formed as early as the 1880s, with the first complete bicycle unit being raised in 1888...
in order to see active service. He rose to the rank of Captain and was mentioned in despatches.
After the war, Dale moved to Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
where designed a housing estate for Banbury Rural District
Banbury Rural District
Banbury was a rural district in Oxfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from the bulk of the Banbury rural sanitary district, which had been divided between three counties...
Council. In the 1920s Dale spent "a delightful year" working on "an exceedingly complicated planning problem" as a competitor in a worldwide architectural competition to design the new Freemasons' Grand Temple
Freemasons' Hall, London
Freemasons' Hall in London is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England and a meeting place for the Masonic Lodges in the London area. It is in Great Queen Street between Holborn and Covent Garden and has been a Masonic meeting place since 1775...
in Great Queen Street
Great Queen Street
Great Queen Street is a street in central London, England in the West End. It is a continuation of Long Acre from Drury Lane to Kingsway. It runs from 1 to 44 along the north side, east to west, and 45 to about 80 along the south side, west to east...
in London. Dale came second, for which he won "a large prize".
Some time thereafter he moved to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, where he designed the modest neo-Georgian house that was built for him and his family at 358 Woodstock Road
Woodstock Road
Woodstock Road is a major road in Oxford, England, running from St Giles' to the south, north towards Woodstock through the leafy suburb of North Oxford. To the east is the Banbury Road, which it meets at the junction with St Giles'.-Buildings:...
. He later moved again to 4 Bradmore Road on the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Norham Manor
Norham Manor
The Norham Manor estate is a residential suburb in Oxford, England. It is part of central North Oxford. To the north is Park Town with its crescents, to the east is the River Cherwell, to the south are the University Parks and to the west is Walton Manor, on the other side of Banbury Road.The...
estate.
Dale served as Oxford Diocesan
Diocese of Oxford
-History:The Diocese of Oxford was created in 1541 out of part of the Diocese of Lincoln.In 1836 the Archdeaconry of Berkshire was transferred from the Diocese of Salisbury to Oxford...
Surveyor for 23 years. He designed at least four parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es that were built in or near Oxford. He also designed restoration work or new furnishings for a number of parish churches; most of them in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, plus one in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
Family
Dale's wife predeceased him. They left two sons and two daughters. By the time of Dale's death, both sons had married and one of the daughters was a Sister in a religious order.Dale's death in 1959 was reported in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. Harry Carpenter, Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
, assisted at his funeral.
Dale's elder son Thomas Simon Savage Dale (known as Simon Dale) was born in 1919 and also became an architect. They practised together as Dale and Son. In 1957 Simon Dale married Susan Wilberforce, a descendant of William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
, and moved with her to Hopton Castle
Hopton Castle
Hopton Castle is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.The village grew up near to the keep of Hopton Castle, which was opened as a visitor attraction in 2011. Nearby is the hamlet of Hopton Heath, with its small station on the Heart of Wales Line...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. Lawrence Dale died in 1959 and is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery
Wolvercote Cemetery
Wolvercote Cemetery is a cemetery close to the north Oxford suburb of Wolvercote, England, off the Banbury Road. Unusually, this single cemetery is divided into areas to accommodate graves of the Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as all categories of Christians. Many Russians, Poles and other...
near his home in Oxford. Simon Dale later lost his sight, was divorced in 1972, and in 1987 was beaten to death at The Heath, the house that he and Susan had restored at Hopton Castle.
Secular buildings
Two of Dale's earlier works are EdwardianEdwardian architecture
Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....
houses in Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb
-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
, one of which has been described as "an excellent house of the Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
school". Horn Park, a country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-west of Beaminster
Beaminster
Beaminster is a small town and civil parish in the West Dorset district of Dorset in South West England, at the head of the valley of the River Brit. Beaminster is south of Bristol, west of Bournemouth, east of Exeter and northwest of the county town of Dorchester...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, is Dale's largest and perhaps most significant house design. It is a symmetrical neo-Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
building of five bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
and two storeys, completed in 1911. Its central corridor is barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ed and leads to a drawing room whose groin vault
Groin vault
A groin vault or groined vault is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round...
is reminiscent of the work of Sir John Soane
John Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...
(1753–1837). The house is Listed Grade II.
Lawrence and Simon Dale together designed Ickford
Ickford
Ickford is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the boundary with Oxfordshire, about west of the market town of Thame....
Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
(1946). The roof and almost all of the walls are hung with wooden shingles
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
, possibly in response to the shortage of many types of building material after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Parish churches
Like Charles Ponting (1850–1932) to whom he had been articled, Dale's ecclesiastical architecture was strongly Anglo-CatholicAnglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
. However, whereas Ponting continued to work in the Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
idiom long after it had passed out of fashion, Dale adopted Italianate architecture
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
for his churches.
Dale designed at least four parish churches for the Diocese of Oxford
Diocese of Oxford
-History:The Diocese of Oxford was created in 1541 out of part of the Diocese of Lincoln.In 1836 the Archdeaconry of Berkshire was transferred from the Diocese of Salisbury to Oxford...
. The first, St. Francis of Assisi, Cowley (1930–31), was built on a site provided by Morris Motors as a temporary daughter church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of St. James, Cowley. It was made a permanent church and dedicated in 1962. St. Francis' is a simple building with only a small chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. Dale's second church, St. Alban the Martyr, Oxford (1933), replaced a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
that had been built for St. Mary and St. John parish church in 1889. St. Alban's is a relatively low building for its length and is limited by a narrow corner site. He also designed "halls" – possibly mission halls – for the parishes of St. Nicholas, Marston
Marston, Oxford
Marston is a village and civil parish about northeast of the centre of Oxford, England. It was absorbed within the city boundaries in 1991. It is commonly called Old Marston to distinguish it from the suburb of New Marston that developed between St. Clement's and the village in the 19th and 20th...
and St. James, Cowley.
Dale's churches built after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were more ambitious. St. Michael and All Angels, New Marston
New Marston
New Marston is a suburb about northeast of the centre of Oxford, England.-History:New Marston is built on land that was originally part of the manor of Headington. It was rural until the 19th century, when housing began to develop along Marston Road from St. Clement's towards the village of Marston...
(1954–56), was built as a chapel of ease for St. Andrew's parish church, Headington
Headington
Headington is a suburb of Oxford, England. It is at the top of Headington Hill overlooking the city in the Thames Valley below. The life of the large residential area is centred upon London Road, the main road between London and Oxford.-History:...
. It is more substantial in scale and has a statue of St. Michael by Michael Groser and a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
painted by Leon Underwood
Leon Underwood
Leon Underwood "The precursor of modern sculpture in Britain" was a noted British sculptor, painter, draughtsman and engraver as well as a writer and illustrator, scholar, teacher, philosopher and stained glass and furniture craftsman...
. St. Michael's is described as being in a "vaguely Italian renaissance style" but the building is slightly limited by its corner site. Dale's final church, St. Swithun, Kennington
Kennington, Oxfordshire
Kennington is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. The village occupies a narrow stretch of land between the River Thames and the A34 dual carriageway...
(1956–58), is in a spacious churchyard that allowed Dale the space to use a more spacious cruciform plan.
Most of Dale's churches share common features: a tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
with bas-reliefs over the main door, pantiled
Pantile (roof material)
A pantile is a type of fired roof tile, normally made from clay. It is S-shaped in appearance and is single lap, meaning that the end of the tile laps only the course immediately below...
roofs, an Italianate pent-roofed chimney for the boiler and in some cases a baldachin
Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure is more correctly called a ciborium when it is...
over the main altar and a pantiled bell-cot
Bell-Cot
A bell-cot, bell-cote or bellcote, is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells, supported on brackets projecting from a wall or built on the roof of chapels or churches which have no towers. It often holds the Sanctus bell rung at the Consecration....
on the west gable. With the exception of St. Francis of Assisi (which is stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed) they are built of a modern buff brick that contrasts with traditional building materials in this part of England. The tympanum at St. Alban the Martyr was carved by John Brookes, then Principal of Oxford City Technical College. St. Francis' has also a set of Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
carved by Eric Gill
Eric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
.
Watercolours
Dale was a watercolourist "of more than average ability" who was a member of local arts clubs in Oxford. He held a number of exhibitions of his work, which was compared with that of Paul SandbyPaul Sandby
Paul Sandby was an English map-maker turned landscape painter in watercolours, who, along with his older brother Thomas, became one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768.-Life and work:...
.
"Christ Church Mall"
Central Oxford had become acutely congested with motor traffic in the 1920s and 1930s. When Dale first moved from Banbury to Oxford he practised from an office in CarfaxCarfax, Oxford
Carfax is located at the conjunction of St Aldate's , Cornmarket Street , Queen Street and the High Street in Oxford, England. It is considered to be the centre of the city, and is at...
"but the traffic there was shocking" so he gave up his office and practised from home.
In September 1941 Dale published a six-page pamphlet called Christ Church Mall: a Diversion in which he proposed a relief road skirting the south side of Christ Church Meadow
Christ Church Meadow, Oxford
Christ Church Meadow is a famous flood-meadow, and popular walking and picnic spot in Oxford, England.Roughly triangular in shape it is bounded by the River Thames , the River Cherwell, and Christ Church. It provides access to many of the college boat houses which are on an island at the confluence...
along the bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to link Abingdon Road
Abingdon Road
Abingdon Road is the main arterial road to the south of the city of Oxford, England. The road passes through the suburbs of Grandpont and New Hinksey...
and Iffley Road
Iffley Road
Iffley Road is a major arterial road in Oxford, England. It leads from The Plain, near Magdalen Bridge, south-east towards the village of Iffley. While it becomes Henley Avenue at Iffley Turn, and then Rose Hill, many people will refer to the whole stretch from the ring road to The Plain as Iffley...
to bypass High Street
High Street, Oxford
The High Street in Oxford, England runs between Carfax, generally recognized as the centre of the city, and Magdalen Bridge to the east. Locally the street is often known as The High. It forms a gentle curve and is the subject of many prints, paintings, photographs, etc...
.
In 1944 Dale expanded on his proposals into a 60-page book, Towards a Plan for Oxford City, illustrated with some of his own watercolours. In it he reiterated his "Christ Church Mall" road proposal and proposed extensive redevelopment of St. Clement's
St Clement's, Oxford
St Clement's is a district in Oxford, England, on the east bank of the River Cherwell. Its main road, St Clement's Street , links The Plain near Magdalen Bridge with London Place at the foot of Headington Hill at the junction with Marston Road to the north...
and St. Ebbes.
In 1946 the County Borough of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
commissioned Thomas Sharp
Thomas Wilfred Sharp
Thomas Wilfred Sharp was an English urban planner and writer. He was born in Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England. He attended the local grammar school and then spent four years working for the borough surveyor...
to make proposals to relieve Oxford's traffic and re-plan parts of the city. In 1948 Sharp published his report as a book, Oxford Replanned, in which he paid tribute:
Mr. Dale has presented his case very attractively and wittily, and has done the city a considerable service in braving the controversy which was bound to result from any attempt to touch even the hem of the sacred Christ Church Meadow.
However, Sharp also thought that Dale's "Christ Church Mall" would be too indirect, particularly for traffic from Headington Hill
Headington Hill
Headington Hill is a hill in the east of Oxford, England, in the suburb of Headington. The Headington Road road goes up the hill leading out of the city...
and Marston Road
Marston Road
Marston Road is a road in the east of Oxford, England. It links the junction of St Clements and the foot of Headington Hill to the south with the suburb of New Marston to the north. This is a mini-roundabout connecting with Cherwell Drive and Headley Way at the northern end. To the north is the ...
. Sharp instead proposed a road across the northern side of Christ Church Meadow, which he called "Merton Mall" as it would have passed very close to Merton College
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
.
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
also commended Dale for "presenting his case with architectural vision, wit and eloquence" in Towards a Plan for Oxford City, and quoted Dale's vision that "a finely designed parkway" would be "A beautiful road between the Towers and the Thames severally dreaming and streaming".
In 1956 the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation held an enquiry at which Dale continued to make his case. Dale told the enquiry:
nobody more than he admired the beauty of Christ Church Meadow, and anyone who wanted a road through it was a vandal. But, he said, there was a vast difference in having a road round the Meadow, as he was suggesting. The road could be so landscaped that it could not be seen from the river or from the north side of the meadow. The real beauty of the meadow was Merton Fields and the Broad Walk, and that would be destroyed by Dr. Sharp's plan.
Dale cited in his support Professor Sir Albert Richardson
Albert Richardson
Sir Albert Edward Richardson K.C.V.O., F.R.I.B.A, F.S.A., was a leading English architect, teacher and writer about architecture during the first half of the 20th century...
, then president of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, who "had said, in 1944, that Christ Church Meadow would suffer no detriment if skirted by a tree-lined road".
Sharp's proposal was the subject of more than 20 years of political and public debate and protest. Neither Sharp's nor Dale's proposed road was ever built.
List of works
Buildings
- Bedford Park, LondonBedford Park, LondonBedford Park is a suburban development in west London, England. It forms a conservation area that is mostly within the London Borough of Ealing, with a small part to the east within the London Borough of Hounslow. The nearest underground station is Turnham Green .-History:It can be justly described...
: studio house for an artist, 1908 - 40 Hampstead Way, Hampstead Garden SuburbHampstead Garden Suburb-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
, London, 1909 - Horn Park, BeaminsterBeaminsterBeaminster is a small town and civil parish in the West Dorset district of Dorset in South West England, at the head of the valley of the River Brit. Beaminster is south of Bristol, west of Bournemouth, east of Exeter and northwest of the county town of Dorchester...
, DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, 1911 - Gates House, Wyldes Close, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, 1915
- St. Francis of Assisi, Cowley, Oxfordshire, 1930–31
- St. Alban the Martyr parish church, Charles Street, OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, 1933 - Itchen AbbasItchen AbbasItchen Abbas is a village on the River Itchen about north-east of Winchester in Hampshire, England. The village is part of the Itchen Valley civil parish.A major oil pipeline from Hamble to Aldermaston runs through Itchen Abbas.-Parish church:...
, HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
: house, 1935 - Hook Manor, SemleySemleySemley is a village in Sedgehill and Semley civil parish in Wiltshire. The village is about north-east of Shaftesbury in neighbouring Dorset.-Manor:...
, WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
: remodelled 17th century JacobeanJacobean architectureThe Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
manor houseManor houseA manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, 1935 - Blessed Virgin Mary parish church, ThameThameThame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town....
, OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
: repairs to stonework, 1937–38 - Village Hall, IckfordIckfordIckford is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the boundary with Oxfordshire, about west of the market town of Thame....
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, 1946 (with Simon Dale) - St. Etheldreda's parish church, Horley, OxfordshireHorley, OxfordshireHorley is a village and civil parish in the north of Oxfordshire about north-west of Banbury.-Parish church:The Church of England parish church of Saint Etheldreda was built in the 12th century. It was remodelled in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries and thus incorporates a mixture of Norman,...
: screen and rood loft, 1947–50 - St. Michael & All Angels parish church, New MarstonNew MarstonNew Marston is a suburb about northeast of the centre of Oxford, England.-History:New Marston is built on land that was originally part of the manor of Headington. It was rural until the 19th century, when housing began to develop along Marston Road from St. Clement's towards the village of Marston...
, Oxford, 1954–56 - St. Swithun's parish church, Kennington, BerkshireKennington, OxfordshireKennington is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. The village occupies a narrow stretch of land between the River Thames and the A34 dual carriageway...
(now in Oxfordshire), (with Rev. Stuart S. Davies) 1956–58 - Deddington Primary School, Oxfordshire: modernisation, new classroom etc., 1958
- 358 Woodstock RoadWoodstock RoadWoodstock Road is a major road in Oxford, England, running from St Giles' to the south, north towards Woodstock through the leafy suburb of North Oxford. To the east is the Banbury Road, which it meets at the junction with St Giles'.-Buildings:...
, Oxford: house for Dale and his family - Goddard's Green, BerkshireGoddard's Green, BerkshireGoddard's Green is a hamlet in Berkshire, England, and part of the civil parish of Wokefield.The settlement lies between the villages of Burghfield Common and Mortimer Common, and is located approximately south-east of Reading.-External links:...
: restoration of a house - St. Mary Magdalene parish church, Lillington, WarwickshireLillington, WarwickshireLillington is an area of the town of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England. Lillington was formerly a village which existed before the time of the Domesday Book , until it was subsumed into Leamington Spa, the parish being incorporated into that borough in 1890.-Geography:Lillington itself has...
: pulpit - St. Mary & St. Edburga's parish church, Stratton AudleyStratton AudleyStratton Audley is a village and civil parish northeast of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England.-Manor:The Domesday Book of 1086 records that Robert D'Oyly held five hides of land at Stratton. Like many D'Oyly manors, Stratton later became part of the Honour of Wallingford...
, Oxfordshire: tower screen