Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was a prolific
EnglishEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
and garden designer, particularly associated with projects in the classical style in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
parks, including buildings at the
Royal Botanic Gardens, KewThe Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. The director is Professor Stephen D. Hopper, who succeeded Professor Sir Peter Crane...
and
London ZooLondon Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on April 27 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
, and with the layout and architecture of the seaside towns of
FleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
and
St Leonards-on-SeaSt Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
and of
Tunbridge WellsRoyal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about southeast of central London, bordering the county of East Sussex. It is situated at the northern edge of the High Weald, the sandstone geology of which is exemplified by the rock formations at the Wellington Rocks and High Rocks...
. (His first name, Latin for 'tenth', denoted his position as the tenth child in his family.)
Burton initially trained in the architectural and building practice run by his father
James BurtonJames Burton was a builder and developer, responsible for large areas of Bloomsbury and the houses around Regent's Park in London. He later founded the new town of St Leonards-on-Sea, which is now part of the built-up area of Hastings...
(1761-1837), and then with
John NashJohn Nash was an Anglo-Welsh architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Early life:Born in Lambeth, London, as the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with architect Sir Robert Taylor, but his own career was initially unsuccessful and short-lived...
for whom he elaborated on the designs of Cornwall Terrace, facing
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
's
Regent's ParkRegent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the northern part of central London partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden.It contains Regent's College and the London Zoo....
.
Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was a prolific
EnglishEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
and garden designer, particularly associated with projects in the classical style in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
parks, including buildings at the
Royal Botanic Gardens, KewThe Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. The director is Professor Stephen D. Hopper, who succeeded Professor Sir Peter Crane...
and
London ZooLondon Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on April 27 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
, and with the layout and architecture of the seaside towns of
FleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
and
St Leonards-on-SeaSt Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
and of
Tunbridge WellsRoyal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about southeast of central London, bordering the county of East Sussex. It is situated at the northern edge of the High Weald, the sandstone geology of which is exemplified by the rock formations at the Wellington Rocks and High Rocks...
. (His first name, Latin for 'tenth', denoted his position as the tenth child in his family.)
Regent's Park
Burton initially trained in the architectural and building practice run by his father
James BurtonJames Burton was a builder and developer, responsible for large areas of Bloomsbury and the houses around Regent's Park in London. He later founded the new town of St Leonards-on-Sea, which is now part of the built-up area of Hastings...
(1761-1837), and then with
John NashJohn Nash was an Anglo-Welsh architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Early life:Born in Lambeth, London, as the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with architect Sir Robert Taylor, but his own career was initially unsuccessful and short-lived...
for whom he elaborated on the designs of Cornwall Terrace, facing
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
's
Regent's ParkRegent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the northern part of central London partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden.It contains Regent's College and the London Zoo....
. His first major project (1823) was nearby: an enormous domed exhibition hall, the Coliseum (no longer standing – it was demolished in 1875 and the site is now occupied by the
Royal College of PhysiciansThe Royal College of Physicians of London was the first medical institution in England to receive a Royal Charter. It was founded in 1518 and is one of the most active of all medical professional organisations...
). After this, he was appointed to design the gardens and buildings at the adjacent new London Zoo (the llama building (1828), complete with clock tower, no longer houses animals but is used as a First Aid Post, and is a Grade II
listed building – as is his later (1834) Giraffe House).
He was responsible for planning the lay-out of
Hyde ParkHyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
(1825), and, at its south-east corner (
Hyde Park CornerHyde Park Corner is a place in London, at the south-east corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge...
), designed the
triumphal archA triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, in theory built to celebrate a victory in war, but often used to celebrate a ruler....
, the Wellington or Constitution Arch, to form the main western entrance to
St. James's ParkSt. James's Park is a 23 hectare park in Westminster, central London, the oldest of the Royal Parks of London. The park lies at the southernmost tip of the St. James's area, which was named after a leper hospital dedicated to St. James the Less....
and
Green ParkGreen Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. Covering , it lies between London's Hyde Park and St. James's Park...
. The arch was designed as a memorial to the Duke of Wellington and originally provided a grand entrance to London. Originally the arch was topped with an equestrian statue of the Duke but it was replaced with the current work, The Quadriga (1912) by
Adrian JonesAdrian Jones was an English sculptor and painter who specialized in animals, particularly horses. He was born in Ludlow, Shropshire and initially studied at the Royal Veterinary College; he subsequently joined the army as a veterinary officer, attaining the rank of Captain...
.
Kew
He had a 30-year association with the
Royal Botanic Gardens, KewThe Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. The director is Professor Stephen D. Hopper, who succeeded Professor Sir Peter Crane...
, starting initially with the layout of gardens and paths before moving on to major buildings. With iron founder
Richard TurnerRichard Turner was an Irish iron-founder and manufacturer of glasshouses, born in Dublin.His works included the Palm House at Kew Gardens , the glasshouse in the Winter Gardens at Regent's Park in London, the Palm House at Belfast Botanic Gardens and the Curvilinear Range at the Irish National...
, he designed the glass and iron Palm House at Kew (1844-1848); at the time, this greenhouse was the largest in the world at 363 ft long, wide and high. He then designed the even larger Temperate House, but did not live to see the project completed (although a section opened in 1863, lack of funds meant it was not finally completed until 1898). Other projects at Kew included the Victoria Gate (1848) and the Water Lily House (1852).
Fleetwood
The other major concentration of Burton’s work is at
FleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
on the
LancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...
coast. Burton's work with his father on the
East SussexEast Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey, Brighton and Hove and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:See main article:History of Sussex...
town of
St Leonards-on-SeaSt Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
(1827-1837) had impressed wealthy landowner Sir Peter Hesketh and he commissioned Burton to lay out his new port and seaside resort. Burton's buildings include the North Euston Hotel,
PharosThe Pharos Lighthouse is a tall sandstone lighthouse situated in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. The lighthouse was designed in 1839 by Decimus Burton and Capt H.M. Denham. Burton has been commissioned three years previously by Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood as the architect of the new town of...
LighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation and to pilots at sea....
and
Beach LighthouseThe Beach Lighthouse is a tall sandstone lighthouse situated in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. The lighthouse was designed in 1839 by Decimus Burton and Capt H.M. Denham. Burton has been commissioned three years previously by Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood as the architect of the new town of...
, Queen's Terrace, St Peter's Church, the Town Hall and his own house on Dock Street (where he lived until 1844).
Other Burton projects
- The Holme, Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London (1818)
- Grove House, Holford House and Winfield House villas, Regent's Park, London (1822-1825)
- Holwood House
Holwood House is a country house in Keston, near Hayes, in the London Borough of Bromley in England. It was designed by Decimus Burton and built between 1823 and 1826 and is in the Greek Revival style. It was built for John Ward who later employed Burton to lay out his Calverley Park Estate in...
, KentKent , originally Cantia, is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the River Thames estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent...
(1823-1826 – now a Grade I listed building)
- Holy Trinity Church, Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about southeast of central London, bordering the county of East Sussex. It is situated at the northern edge of the High Weald, the sandstone geology of which is exemplified by the rock formations at the Wellington Rocks and High Rocks...
, Kent (1827-1829)
- Calverley Estate (Calverley House is now a hotel), Tunbridge Wells (1828)
- Burrswood Hospital, Tunbridge Wells
- the Geological Society
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth". It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with over 9000 Fellows entitled to the postnominal FGS - over...
's apartments at Somerset HouseSomerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
, London (1828)
- Charing Cross Hospital
Charing Cross Hospital is a hospital in London, England. It was established in 1823 as the West London Infirmary, and was originally located in Villiers Street, near Charing Cross in the heart of the metropolis...
, London (1830)
- Adelaide Crescent, Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
(1830)
- Tepid spa pool building, Bath (1830)
- Athenaeum
Athenaeum Club may refer to:*Athenaeum Club, London, a private gentlemen's club situated in London, England.*Athenaeum Club, Melbourne, a private gentlemen's club situated in Melbourne, Australia....
and United Services gentlemen's clubs, Waterloo Place/Pall MallPall Mall is a street in the City of Westminster, London, situated in SW1 and parallel to The Mall, from St. James's Street across Waterloo Place to the Haymarket; while Pall Mall East continues into Trafalgar Square. The street is a major thoroughfare in the St James's area of London, and a...
, London (1828-1830)
- Beulah Spa, Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
, south London (1831)
- St Mary's Church, Goring by Sea
Goring-by-Sea is a neighbourhood of the Borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England, about two miles west of Worthing town centre. Since 1929 Goring has been part of the Borough of Worthing...
, West SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
(1837)
- Bay House (originally Ashburton House), Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough in Hampshire with around 79,000 resident inhabitants, with a further 5-10,000 during the summer months, situated on the south coast of England...
, HampshireHampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders , Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
(1838)
- the Great Conservatory at Chatsworth
Chatsworth is a civil parish in Derbyshire, England, within the area of the Derbyshire Dales and the Peak District National Park.The population is largely in and around Chatsworth House and is considered to be too low to justify a parish council...
, DerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains...
with Joseph PaxtonSir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing the The Crystal Palace.-Early life:...
(1836-1840)
- Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed urban public park in Europe located 3 km to the north west of Dublin city centre in Ireland. It measures , with a walled circumference of 16 km that contains large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues. The park has been home to a herd of wild...
in DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
(1840)
- The library, 18 Hyde Park Gardens
Hyde Park Gardens consists of two roads running adjacent to the North Western corner of Hyde Park, London. Number 1 Hyde Park Gardens runs up to Number 23 with a large private communal garden and then the road separates to allow access to The Ring and into Hyde Park and the neighbouring Kensington...
(c.1844)
- Lower Pleasure Gardens, Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the Borough of Bournemouth, England. The town has a population of 163,444 according to the 2001 Census, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is the largest town on the south coast and the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, DorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town has been Dorchester since at least 1305, situated in the south of the county at . Between its extreme points Dorset measures from east to west and north to south, and has an area of...
(1840s)
- St Mary’s church, Bradford Peverell
Bradford Peverell is a village in west Dorset, England, situated in the Frome valley two miles north west of Dorchester on the A37 road. The village has a population of 344 .- External links :*...
, Dorset (1850)
- Grammar School, Retford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, in the district of Bassetlaw...
, NottinghamshireNottinghamshire is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire...
(1855-1857)
- Sennowe Hall, Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast, including The Wash. The county town is Norwich...
- West Marina, The Lawn, and Uplands, at St Leonards
- Oaklands, Sedlescombe
Sedlescombe is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. The village is located seven miles north of Hastings....
, East Sussex
- Wick Hall, Hove, East Sussex (Demolished 1936) (1840)
- Grimston Park, Tadcaster [Yorkshire] (1839-40)
- Stockgrove House, Buckinghamshire/Bedfordshire border (1831) demolished circa 1928
Death
Decimus Burton retired in 1869, died in December 1881 and was buried in
Kensal Green CemeteryKensal Green Cemetery is a burial ground located in Kensal Green, London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green"....
.
External links
- http://www.1066.net/burtons/intro.htm – Burton St Leonards Society