Thomas Atkinson (architect)

20, St Andrewgate, York – the house that Atkinson built for himself

Thomas Atkinson (1729–1798) was an English architect, best remembered for remodelling Bishopthorpe Palace in the Gothic Revival style.

Life

Atkinson was born at York, the son of Thomas and Jane Marshall Atkinson. His father was a mason. He worked with his father and later developed an architectural practice based in York. The house that he built there for himself in about 1780 still stands at 20 St Andrewgate in the city centre.[1] He was the leading Yorkshire-based architect of the second half of the 18th century.[2]

Atkinson converted to Roman Catholicism; he received a number of commissions from the Yorkshire Catholic gentry. He was commissioned to design a new chapel for Bar Convent. The dome was concealed beneath a slate roof, so that it was hidden from view. Atkinson also built eight different escape routes into the Chapel, to ensure that if the building was stormed, the worshippers would be able to escape.[3] In 1776, he produced designs for a planned development of the city of Sheffield which never came to pass.

Selected buildings

• Bishopthorpe Palace, York - remodelled the facade and the gatehouse in the 1760s.
• Sutton Park, North Yorkshire – Atkinson is believed to have designed the house, which was completed in 1764.[4]
• Old St Andrew's Church, Bishopthorpe, 1768[5]
• Bar Convent, York – built the chapel (1765–9) and the main front (1787–9), also other alterations between 1778 and 1793.
• Carlton Towers, Selby – added long East Wing in 1765.[6]
• Houghton Hall, Sancton, North Yorkshire – built country house 1765-8 for Philip Langdale.[7]
• All Saints' Church, Brandsby, 1767–1770[8]
• Dalton Hall (Beverley) – built in 1771-6 for Sir Charles Hotham, 8th Baronet[9]
• Terregles House, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland – built 1788 for W H Maxwell Constable.

References

1. "Georgian Architecture" History of York, York Museums Trust
2. Cruikshank, Dan. "Secrets of Georgian city planning", Architects' Journal, October 22, 1998
3. Kirkus, Sister Gregory (2000). Whitworth, Alan (ed.). Aspects of York – Discovering Local History. Barnsley: Wharncliffe Books. pp. 55–56. ISBN 1-871647-83-5.
4. Sutton Park Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
5. Historic England. "Ruined church of St Andrew (1166742)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
6. "Carlton Towers-A Detailed History". Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
7. Pevsner, Nicholas. Yorkshire: York and the East Riding. p. 72.
8. Historic England. "Church of All Saints (1150750)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
9. Pevsner, Nicholas. Yorkshire: York and the East Riding. p. 72.

Sources

• Colvin, H. M. (1954). Biographical Dictionary of English Architects 1660–1840. London: John Murray.
• Pevsner, Nikolaus; Neave, David (1995) [1972]. Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (2nd ed.). London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071061-2.