Theodosius Keene

Theodosius Keene
Born1754
NationalityEnglish
OccupationArchitect
Years active1770 - 1777
Notable workRacton Monument

Theodosius Keene, born in 1754, was an English architect who conducted most of his work in the south of England between 1770 and 1777.[1]

Life and work

Theodosius was born around 1754 as the son of notable English architect Henry Keene, famous for his Gothic Revival and Neoclassical buildings.[1]

He designed Racton Monument around 1770, a red brick turreted folly in West Sussex, possibly built as a summerhouse for the nearby Stansted Estate.[2][3] Racton Monument stands to this day, albeit a ruin. In 1777 he designed the Maidenhead Guildhall, a replacement for the original medieval building which was constructed around 1430.[4][5] It consisted of a council chamber, assembly room, a corn exchange, a lockup and also held a beer house called the ‘Fighting Cocks Inn’.[4] The guildhall was demolished in February 1963 to make way for the Town Hall.[4][6] It is also believed that in 1794 he completed Radcliffe Observatory, under the direction of James Wyatt, since his father died before finishing the building.

  • Racton Monument, West Sussex
    Racton Monument, West Sussex
  • Radcliffe Observatory, Oxfordshire
    Radcliffe Observatory, Oxfordshire
  • Maidenhead Guildhall, Berkshire
    Maidenhead Guildhall, Berkshire

References

  1. ^ a b "Theodosius Keene - Summary". Parks and Gardens UK. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Racton Monument". National Monuments Record. English Heritage. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  3. ^ Ian Nairn; Nikolaus Pevsner (1965). Sussex. Yale University Press. p. 312. ISBN 978-0-300-09677-4.
  4. ^ a b c Elias Kupfermann; Carol Dixon-Smith (5 November 2014). Maidenhead Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-4456-3853-9.
  5. ^ Charles Kerry (1861). The History and Antiquities of the Hundred of Bray, in the County of Berks. Published by the author. p. 143.
  6. ^ Batt, Francis. "In pictures: A 'life changing' year in the life of the mayor". Maidenhead Advertiser. Retrieved 22 September 2016.