Arthur Wakerley (May 15, 1862 – 4 April 1931) was a British architect, businessman and politician.
Life
Born in
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray () is a town in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester, and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, known below Melton as the Wreake. The town had a population 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promo ...
, he was articled to James Bird. He was a Fellow of the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
and sometime President of the Leicester Society of Architects. He was President of the Leicester
Liberal Association and in 1886 was elected as a councillor for Middle St Margaret's Ward and was
Mayor of Leicester
The mayor of Leicester is responsible for the executive function of Leicester City Council in England. The incumbent is Peter Soulsby of the Labour Party.
Background
In December 2010 the Labour controlled Leicester City Council approved plan ...
in 1897, the youngest mayor since the reforms of 1835. He used the role of mayor to support a wide range of charitable and religious works and attempted to position the role of mayor as a non-party political one. His year of office was marred by two local disasters – the
railway accident at Wellingborough and the
Whitwick Colliery explosion that claimed 35 lives. He twice (unsuccessfully) contested the
Melton Division for a seat in Parliament. He stood as a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate in 1895 and 1900.
Outside work and politics Arthur Wakerley was an enthusiastic
Wesleyan
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
lay preacher
Lay preacher is a preacher or a religious proclaimer who is not a formally ordained cleric
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presidi ...
and ardent
temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
*Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...
worker as well as being interested in archaeology and poetry.
He planned the development of the
North Evington
North Evington is an area, suburb, electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England.
North Evington is bordered by Belgrave to the west, Charnwood to the north, Evington and Humberstone & Hamilton to the east and ...
area. Other examples of his architectural work in Leicester include the
Turkey Cafe
The Turkey Cafe is a building with a flamboyant Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) facade in Granby Street, Leicester, England. It was built in 1900 and is now a Grade II listed building, once again used as a café. The facade puns on two ...
, Granby Street (1901), the Synagogue on Highfield Street, the Coronation Buildings, High Street (1901–03; formerly known as the Singer Building)
and the Wycliffe Society Cottage Homes for the Blind.
[JEAN FARQUAR, Arthur Wakerley 1862–1931 (London, Sedgebrook Press: 1984).]
Grade II Listed buildings by Arthur Wakerley
Below is a list of the fourteen buildings in Leicester by Arthur Wakerley that have been listed. All are
Grade II
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, and most relate to the period 1880s to 1900s. Many more of his building survive without being listed, including factories, terraced housing, semi-detached and detached houses, and 'Crown Hill', a substantial brick mansion he built for himself on Gwendolen Road. The listed post-war houses are four example pairs of the design of council house Wakerley produced in the 1920s, selected because they remain closest to the original design and have their original sash windows. As well as Leicester, the design was widely adopted in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
,
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
and
Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...
.
[
]
Notes to the table
References
External links
The Wakerley Trail
Page on Leicester City Council website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wakerley, Arthur
1862 births
Architects from Leicester
Mayors of places in Leicestershire
People from Melton Mowbray
Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
Burials at Welford Road Cemetery
1931 deaths