Nesfield, William Eden

Nesfield, William Eden (1835–88). English Arts-and-Crafts architect. Articled to William Burn (1851), he soon moved to Salvin's office and later published Specimens of Mediaeval Architecture (1862—the result of several Continental journeys). In 1863 he set up an office with Norman Shaw, but practised independently. Many of his finest domestic buildings were in the Queen Anne style, which he appears to have inaugurated, starting with the C17-style Lodge at Regent's Park, London (1864—destroyed), followed by his masterpiece, Kinmel Park, Denbighshire (1866–74), and then Bodrhyddan, Flintshire, (1872–4), both in Wales. His importance lies in his influence on the evolution of the English Domestic Revival, and in the charm of his Queen Anne buildings. One of his finest designs was Cloverley Hall, Whitchurch, Salop. (1862–8—destroyed), which featured mullioned-and-transomed windows, and a free use of Gothic and C17 features. Some of his best work is in Essex: e.g. Barclays Bank, Market Place, Saffron Walden (1872–5), the enlargement and virtual rebuilding of the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Radwinter (1869–70—with tower and other works by Temple Moore (from 1886) ), and various buildings in the same village (1873–87).

Bibliography

Brandwood (1997);
Dixon & and Muthesius (1985);
Eastlake (1970);
Girouard (1977);
Jervis (1984);
Placzek (ed.) (1982);
Saint (1976);
Service (1977);
Service (ed.) (1975);
Jane Turner (1996)