1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



427 



the Royal Institute of Architects was justly awarded during the last 

 session, is one of their body. The promptitude and boldness with 

 which the Society came forward on the subject of public competitions 

 both in the case of St. George's Hall, Liverpool, and the Royal Ex- 

 change in London, seem to me to reflect upon them very great credit, 

 and to entitle them to the good will of the profession at large. One 

 bar to their advancement, il may be noticed, is the cost of house-rent, 

 which swallows up nearly the whole of their annual income, — a bar 

 unfortunately not confined to this Society alone, but which acts almost 

 as powerfully to lessen the usefulness of the histitute, and of the 

 Architectural Society of London, indeed of every literary and scientific 

 body not aided in this respect by government. Surely something 

 might be done to diminish this evil in the metropolis? If government 

 cannot, or will not assist in the object, several societies might by coali- 

 tion erect one suitable building of sufficient size for their purposes, 

 using allernakly such portions of it, as are not generally required by 

 each society oftener than once in the week. With regard to the In- 

 stitute and the Architectvnal Society, it is to be hoped that a long 

 time will not elapse before they merge into one powerfully elfective 

 body, as the whole cost of one establishment, or nearly so, woi\ld then 

 be available for the advancement of architecture, — either liy the pro- 

 secution of experiments, the publication of designs and proceedings, 

 or the foundation of a maintenance for a travelling student. This 

 however is slightly beyond oiu' present purpose. 



At BiUMiNUHAM many projects are in agitation; several additional 

 churches are to be built, (but mostly of very small cost,) as well as 

 new Assize Coints, and otiier edifices for public business. Bishop 

 Ryder's church, built by i\Iessrs. Rickinan and Hussey, was conse- 

 craled in December last. It is constructed of red brick, (the dominant 

 material in Birmingham,) and stone', and the architects have cleverlv 

 adapted these materials to their purpose, by employing the late Tudor 

 style, or that which immediately preceded the entire abasement of 

 pointed architecture by Italian intermixture. The tower has at the 

 sides of it four turrets surnunnited by small cupolas similar to some at 

 Hampton Court Falace, which liuilding is an example of the style 

 adopted. Adjoining to the church is a " King Edward's Free-scliool," 

 built by the same architects. There is a small Gothic church without 

 ranch pretension, recently built at Edgebaston ; and near it Horticul- 

 tural Gardens with greenhouses anil lodges have been formed. On 

 the opposite side of the town is Trinity church, a small stone etlitice 

 of the perpendicular period, erected several years ago, but of which I 

 do not remember to have seen any account. The interior is bare, but 

 the exterior is pleasing. Its principal feature is a lofty recessed porch 

 at the west end, and its chief defect the smallness of the mullions in 

 the openings for light, which being besides of wood, painted, give a 

 mean appearance to the whole of tlie windows. This over-slightness 

 in the details (as all nnist have observed), is no uncommon fault in 

 modern Gothic buildings. We do not pay the same attention to the 

 geometrical proportions and relationships of the parts in a building, as 

 was jiaid by the architects of the middle ages, — in fact we know' no- 

 thing about them, being contented to (opy examples and apply them 

 according to our own fancy without inquiring on what principles they 

 were originally produced. A close investigation of some of the best 

 specimens of middle-age architecture seems to lead to the belief that 

 a system of arrangement was ])ursne<l in the apportionment of the 

 various ])arts, of which we have at present no certain knowledge. 

 Wonderful fellows were those free-masons of old ! Inscrutable, un- 

 tiring. Even yet not fully nnderstood. 



The pulpit and reading-desk ni the church above mentioned, are 

 ])laced close against the east wall of the building, the comnuniion table 

 standing between them. 



Several chinniies for engine houses have been erected latelv in the 

 suburbs of extraordinary height, in order to prevent an ill etiect which 

 otherwise is caused to the adjoining land by the fumes of certain ma- 

 terials. Some of them are fine pieces of construction. Near Dudley 

 many were observed to lie injvired by recent violent storms. Those 

 of square form had apparently suliered much more than those which 

 are circular on plan. I cannot leave Birmingham and Manchester 

 without remarking on the great improvement in design apparent there 

 in various pieces of ordinary iron-work and common fittings; the most 

 recently constructed street lamp-irons for example display foliage of 

 elegant form, and in many cases the frame-work of machinery is seen 

 to b(! treated in a very architectural and beautiful manner. In the 

 Town Hall at Birmingham some branches for lights, which have been 

 lately fixed to the side walls, are exceedingly elegant in design. Every 

 fine form disseminated in this way may be regarded as a goo<l seed 

 sown, and tends however slightly, to aid in the general improvement 

 of the public taste now beginning to be observable. 



At WOKCESTER little seems to be doing at this moment. The 



County Courts (with an Ionic hexastyle portico) by Mr. Day; a build- 

 ing for the Natural History Society, executed friun the designs of 

 Messrs. Phidian and Newy, at a cost of about 5000/., and a New 

 Meclvanics' Institution by Mr. Harvey Eginton, are among the most 

 recent erections. 



The Cathedral built, if I noted rightly, of a red sandstone, (leasj 

 trustworthy of stones,) is fast decaying, and workmen are constantly 

 engaged in the task of restoration under the guidance of Mr. Eginton. 

 The stone at this moment employed in the restoration, comes it is 

 said, from Lord Mount Morris's estate of Arley, in Wales. For this 

 nobleman, I may mention en passant, Messrs. Varden, architects of 

 Worcester, are about to rebuild Arley Castle. It is intended to make 

 it a castellated edifice with moat and barbican, forming an important 

 pile of building. Part of it is to be begun immediately. 



A great many new buildings for Banking Companies have been re- 

 cently constructetl in various parts of the country, and have afforded 

 opportunities for the exhibition of the skill of local architects. Two 

 have been erected at Gr.oncESTER ; one in Westgate-street by Mr. 

 Fulljames, and the other in Eastgate-street by Mr. Dank; the former 

 presents columns and (Mitablature on a basement, and is somewhat 

 ornate ; the other is an unpretending but pleasing Italian building with 

 large projecting cornice and consoles. In the neighbourhood of the 

 Spa, and Pump-room at Gloucester, many new private residences have 

 lately arisen with pretensions to architectural character, as well as a 

 small church by Mr. Rickman, and a free-school by Mr. Dauk. This 

 latter gentleman has also recently built some bonding warehouses on 

 Baker's Quay, whicli exhibit under rather difficult circumstances much 

 skill in construction. Their cost was about 6000/. The exterior of 

 the Cathedral lierc, with the exception of the centre tower, (which 

 with its perforated turrets at the angles, is one of the most elegant in 

 England,) is fast decaying. Active steps are unquestionably needed 

 in the organization of some comprehensive scheme for the repair and 

 maintenance of our ancient buildings. Why should we be behind 

 hand in this matter ? Are our neighbours the French always to take 

 the lead ? 



At Bristol and Clifton, where there are many talentetl local pro- 

 fessors, architecture is making very satisfactory strides forwards. Two 

 of the most considerable and excellent of the new erections are, the 

 Red-Maids' School by Mr. Dyer, and the Asylum for the Blind by Mr. 

 Rickman. These buildings adjoin each other, are designed in the 

 pointed style of architecture, (one is a little later than the other), and 

 form a beautiful termination to Park-street. They are wholly of stone 

 externally, partly from Bath and partly from Hanham, a place about 

 five miles distant. The Red Maids' School, I was informed, cost about 

 13,0110/., the Asylum about 20,000/., including a chapel, the interior 

 of which is very charming. Tlie high pitched roofs of the Red Maids' 

 School are constructed of two queen-posts and collar-beam, ami are 

 rendered available as dormitories from one end of the building to the 

 other, — the collar-beam, ti feet 3 inches from the top of the tie-lieam, 

 which latter is the level of the floor, appearing in the iq)ar(m('uts and 

 dividing them, as if it were, into bays. 



Near to these last-mentioned buildings a very large Roman Catholic 

 Chapel, wholly of stone, is in progress, beautifully siUiated on elevated 

 ground. The front or west-end tlisplays an hexastyle portico of large 

 proportions, and the sides, a i-ange of three-ciuarter columns, with at 

 the east-end two projections, north and south. Mr. Gootlridge of Bath 

 is tlie architect, 1 believe. In this same neighbourhood Mr. Dyer has 

 commenced a building, with large Corinthian portico, lor the Conser- 

 vative Club, and which promises to be of good ap])earance. At 

 Grenville Place a Wesleyan Chapel in the early pointed style hasjust 

 now been comjiletcd, from the able designs of Mr. Foster. It is con- 

 structed of the dark Hanham stone with Bath stone for the dressings ; 

 will accommodate 900 persons, and has schools beneath. The cost of 

 the whole was 3000'. The same architect is about to erect a church 

 on the Marquis of Bute's estate at CardilT, under her Majesty's C(un- 

 missioners. It will be built (of stone dug on the spot,) in the Anglo- 

 Norman style, to seat 2000 jiersons. The cost is not to exceed UOOO/., 

 of which 3000/. is to be given by the Marquis himself. It appears that 

 37 designs were submitted in competition for this church, and that, 

 although Mr. Foster's drawings were selected for execution, they did 

 not in some one circumstance accord with the printed directions given 

 to architects. Tlie chief ju'emium was in consequence awarded to 

 Mr. Wyatt, for a design sent by him, and in proper accordance with 

 the instructions. 



In the Cathedral at Bristol, which it may be stated, has been sadly 

 injured by party-colo\irings and barbarous interpolations, is a (-lever 

 Gothic monument, erected to Bishop Butler in lS3t by subscription. 

 Mr. S. F. Fri|qi, architect, was the designer of it; and he or one of 

 his name, has also superintended u very pleasing monument in the 



