Albert Powys

Albert Reginald Powys
Memorial plaque in the Church of St Andrew, Winterbourne Tomson
Born(1881-07-16)16 July 1881
Dorchester, Dorset
Died8 March 1936(1936-03-08) (aged 54)
Hindhead, Surrey
Alma materSherborne School
OccupationArchitect
ParentReverend Charles Francis Powys & Mary Cowper Johnson
Buildings
  • Godalming War Memorial
  • Leeds War Memorial
ProjectsSissinghurst Castle Garden

Albert Reginald Powys CBE (16 July 1881 – 8 March 1936) was an architect and Secretary of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings for some 25 years in the early 20th century.

Life

Godalming war memorial

Powys was born into a large and notable literary family in 1881.[1] Siblings included John Cowper Powys, Llewelyn Powys, Theodore Francis Powys and Philippa Powys.[2] Educated at Sherborne School and then trained as an architect, Powys also served as the Secretary of the Society for the Protection of Ancient buildings for twenty-five years.[3][4] He wrote an influential study of conservation practice, Repair of Ancient Buildings, published in 1929.[5] Among a number of restorations, he undertook much building and rebuilding at Sissinghurst Castle Garden for Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, where the Powys Wall in the Rose Garden was named in his honour.[6]

He designed the Godalming war memorial,[7] another memorial in Leeds[8] and that at Blo' Norton in Norfolk.[9] All three are Grade II listed.

Powys died in 1936 and is buried in the Church of St Andrew, Winterborne Tomson, Dorset, where a memorial plaque commemorates his life and his restoration of the church in 1931.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Albert Reginald Powys". powys.org. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  2. ^ "The Powys Society The Powys Family". Powys-society.org. 5 June 2010. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  3. ^ Humpfries, Lynne. "In the Footsteps of AR Powys". The Building Conservation Directory. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  4. ^ Hassall, Rachel (5 October 2017). "The Powys family at Sherborne School". Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. ^ Powys, A. R; Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (London, England) (27 December 2018). Repair of ancient buildings. J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd. ; E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc. OCLC 2566098. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Open WorldCat.
  6. ^ Gardens (en), Parks and. "Sissinghurst Castle". www.parksandgardens.org. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Godalming war memorial (1447942)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  8. ^ Historic England. "War Memorial at south end of Memorial Drive, Green Road (1256215)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Blo Norton war memorial (Grade II) (1453319)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  10. ^ Brodie, Antonia; Library, British Architectural; Architects, Royal Institute of British (20 December 2001). Directory of British Architects, 1834–1914: Vol. 2 (L-Z). A&C Black. ISBN 9780826455147 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Small but perfectly formed – Dorset Life – The Dorset Magazine". Retrieved 27 December 2018.