Stephen Ernest Dykes Bower (18 April 1903 – 11 November 1994) was a British church

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

designer best known for his work at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

Bury St Edmunds Cathedral St Edmundsbury Cathedral (formally entitled the Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund) is the cathedral for the Church of England's Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It is the seat of the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and is in ...

and the

Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

at Lancing College. As an architect he was a devoted and determined champion of the Gothic Revival style through its most unpopular years. He rejected modernism and continued traditions from the late Victorian period, emphasising fine detail, craftsmanship and bright colour.

Early life and education

Dykes Bower was born in Gloucester as one of four brothers, including

John Dykes Bower Sir John Dykes Bower (13 August 190529 May 1981) was an English cathedral organist who served in Truro Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral. Background Bower was born in Gloucester into a musical family, a descendant of the hy ...

, later the organist at

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

. Stephen was educated as organ scholar at

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

and at the

Architectural Association School of Architecture The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest Independent school (United Kingdom), independent school of architecture in the UK and one of the most prestigious and competitive in t ...

in London. He set up his own practice in 1931, focusing on church building and restoration.

Surveyor of the Fabric

From 1951 to 1973, Dykes Bower was the official

Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey The post of Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey was established in 1698. The role is an architectural one, with the current holder being responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the Abbey and its buildings. In the past, the role has i ...

; in charge of restoring, repairing, and maintaining the interior. Restoration work included the tombs,

Pearson Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education *Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada *Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC *Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies *Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...

-designed organ cases,

Blore Blore () is a small village and parish in the Staffordshire Moorlands District of England. It is on an acclivity above Dovedale, three and a half miles north west of Ashbourne, including the hamlet of Swinscoe, one mile (1.6 km) to the so ...

-designed pulpitum, choir stalls,

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...

-designed

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

, vestments, ornaments etc.

Death

Dykes Bower died unmarried in November 1994, and his ashes were interred in the Islip chapel of Westminster Abbey on 12 June 1995. His memorial stone of

Purbeck marble Purbeck Marble is a fossiliferous limestone found in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England. It is a variety of Purbeck stone that has been quarried since at least Roman times as a decorative building stone. Geology Strat ...

is situated next to Sir Charles Peers, his predecessor as Surveyor of the Fabric.

Major works

All Saints' Church, Hockerill All Saints' Church, Hockerill is a Grade II listed building, notable for being the first church designed by the 20th-century architect Stephen Dykes Bower. It is also notable for containing a rose window by Hugh Ray Easton and a pipe organ by Hen ...

, Hertfordshire, 1937 *

St John the Evangelist Church, Newbury St John the Evangelist Church is one of four parish churches in the town of Newbury in the English county of Berkshire. History In 1859 the parish of Saint John was founded and in 1860 was consecrated by the Bishop of Oxford. A church desig ...

, Berkshire, 1950 * Holy Spirit Church, Southsea, Hampshire: 1958 major rebuild, now substantially altered. * Norwich Cathedral: the new organ case, furnishing of Norfolk Regiment Chapel, St Saviour's Chapel, restoration of the medieval throne and choir stalls. * 1958 apse at

including the baldacchino (ciborium), high Altar and American Memorial Chapel executed in association with

W. Godfrey Allen W. Godfrey Allen (1891–1986), full name Walter Godfrey Allen, was an architect in the twentieth century. He was Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral from 1931 to 1956. He devised the St. Paul's Heights policy in 1937, a policy to stop ...

* Priory and Parish Church of St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth: 1961 rebuild of the largest parish church in England after wartime destruction; design of every fitting. * post-war restoration of

Sir Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...

St Vedast Foster Lane Saint Vedast Foster Lane or Saint Vedast-alias-Foster, a church in Foster Lane, in the City of London, is dedicated to St. Vedast (Foster is an Anglicisation of the name "Vaast", as the saint is known in continental Europe), a French saint whose ...

, completed 1962 *

St Edmundsbury Cathedral St Edmundsbury Cathedral (formally entitled the Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund) is the cathedral for the Church of England's Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It is the seat of the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and is in ...

From 1960, an extension of the parish church into a cathedral, including the rebuilding of the chancel and the creation of transepts and side chapels. In his will, he left £2 million towards the building of a tower (completed 2005). * Completion of Lancing College Chapel including the great

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...

, 1977.

Other works

* Carlisle Cathedral: Consulting architect 1947–75; work included the Border Regiment Chapel and general refurnishing. * various new works and restorations for colleges at Oxford and Cambridge, including

University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the univer ...

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, Trinity College, Oxford,

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th century ...

. *

Chelmsford Cathedral Chelmsford Cathedral in the city of Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom, is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop o ...

: restoration and redecoration. *

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 140 ...

: Architect for library and bishop's palace. * Peterborough Cathedral: silver gospel lights. * Wells Cathedral: altar rails. * Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford: embellishment, new altar ornaments and lowering of Bodley-designed reredos. *

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

: William Temple Memorial Chapel. *

Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishment of a minster dedicated to S ...

: nave altar and ornaments, decoration of Scott-designed reredos, tombs, pulpit, canopy. *

Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The presen ...

: Consulting architect work including restoration of lantern and furnishing of Lady Chapel. *

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...

: organ case, grille and fittings in

Butterfield Butterfield may refer to: * Butterfield (surname) * Butterfield Market Places * Butterfield, Dublin, a suburb and townland of Dublin, Ireland * Butterfield Green, Luton, England United States * Butterfield, Minnesota * Butterfield, Misso ...

-designed chapel. * St Martin-in-the-Fields: restoration after war damage * St Mary and St Nicolas, Spalding: painted chancel ceiling. * Parish church fittings and restorations all over England. * Church of St Laurence, Hawkhurst: designed the imposing and highly detailed font cover, 1960.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dykes Bower, Stephen Ernest 1903 births 1994 deaths Alumni of Merton College, Oxford English ecclesiastical architects Gothic Revival architects 20th-century English architects Architects from Gloucestershire