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 The post of Surveyor of the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral was established in 1675. The role is an architectural one, with the current holder being responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the cathedral and its buildings. In the past, the rol ...

from 1931 to 1956. He devised the St. Paul's Heights policy in 1937, a policy to stop the views of St. Paul's being blocked by tall buildings. He lived and worked in Priory Row,

Faversham Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2, which follows an ancient Briti ...

, and is commemorated there by a plaque on his old home. In 1951, he started a second term as the Prime Warden of the

Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, commonly known as the Goldsmiths' Company and formally titled The Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of Goldsmiths of the City of London, is one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of Lond ...

. He was appointed a Commissioner for the

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) was a government advisory body responsible for documenting buildings and monuments of archaeological, architectural and historical importance in England. It was established in 19 ...

on 9 June 1952. He declined a British honour of Commander (

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

) in 1957. Allan is jointly credited with designing a number of features in St Paul's with Stephen Dykes Bower. He was Master of the

Art Workers Guild The Art Workers' Guild is an organisation established in 1884 by a group of British painters, sculptors, architects, and designers associated with the ideas of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The guild promoted the 'unity of a ...

in 1953. He retired from

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 supp ...

in 1970.

References

External links

Isometric engraving of St Paul's
by Allen and R. B. Brookes-Greaves at the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

1942 photo
at the National Portrait Gallery 1891 births 1986 deaths 20th-century English architects People from Faversham Architects from Kent Masters of the Art Worker's Guild Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London {{UK-architect-stub