Walter Henry Brierley (1862–1926) was a York architect who practised in the city for 40 years. He is known as "the Yorkshire Lutyens" or the "Lutyens of the North". He is also credited with being a leading exponent of the "Wrenaissance" style - incorporating elements of Christopher Wren.
Brierley's works include civic buildings, churches, schools and private houses (including his own home, Bishopsbarns) and are located mainly in York, North Yorkshire and the north of England. He was responsible for over 300 buildings between 1885 and the time of his death in 1926. He was the architect for the York Diocese.
The Borthwick Institute in York holds an archive of the Atkinson Brierley architectural practice, a practice that lives on as Brierley Groom, the oldest architectural firm in the UK having continuously practised since 1750. In 2013 Pocklington School unveiled a clock based on plans drawn up by Brierley 116 years earlier and found at the Borthwick in 2006.
A celebration of Brierley's life and architecture in 2007 unearthed the fact that he had designed and built many of the houses and other buildings (such as the Church of St Mary) in Goathland. Simon Groom, current co-owner of architects Brierley Groom, noted that the opening credits of the popular ITV programme Heartbeat displayed large amounts of Brierley's work on screen.
Brierley buildings BuildingLocationDate BuiltList EntryNotes St Philip's Church, Buckingham Palace Road London 1887–1890 By Demaine and Brierley. Demolished in 1956. Welburn Hall (remodelling) Welburn, Kirkbymoorside 1890–1893 The Jacobean west wing was demolished and replaced by a much bigger wing in the Gothic style. Brierley's work was extensively damaged in the fire of 1931. Mallyan Spout Hotel Goathland 1892 By Demaine and Brierley, part demolished, rebuilt and extended around 1935. Northcliffe House Filey 1892 St Mary's Church, Goathland Goathland 1894–1896 All Saints' Church, Rufforth Rufforth 1894–95 By Demaine and Brierley. Park Grove School York 1895 Fishergate Primary School York 1895 Nesfield and Mulgrave Cottage Goathland 1896 Scarcroft Primary School York 1896 Generally regarded as his masterpiece. Burton Stone Inn Clifton 1896 The Jubilee York 1897 Public house closed in 2016. St Paul's Church Colton 1899 King's Manor: Headmaster's House York 1899 Built as the house of the Headmaster of the Yorkshire School for the Blind. Bereton Lodge Goathland 1902 St Oswald's Church Sowerby 1902 North aisle built and original north wall replaced with columns. Thorpe Underwood Hall Thorpe Underwood 1902–03 Haxby Road School York 1903–04 Poppleton Road School York 1903–04 Bomb damaged and restored in 1942. Dringhouses Primary School Dringhouses 1904 Brackencliffe Scarborough 1905 Burrough Court Leicester 1906 In the 1940s the main historic house was destroyed by a fire. Bishopsbarns York 1906 Home of Brierley. Bishopthorpe Garth Bishopthorpe 1908 Haworth Art Gallery Accrington 1908–09 Originally known as Hollins Hill. County Hall Northallerton 1904–1914 Hackness Hall (restoration) Hackness 1910–11 Restoration following a fire. Malton Grammar School buildings Malton 1911 Sledmere House Sledmere 1911 Major restorations by Brierley following a fire (original building around 1751). Acklam Hall Middlesbrough 1912 Alterations by Brierley (original building around 1680). Restaurant was once named 'The Brierley' and now belongs to Tomahawk Steakhouse LTD. The Blue Bell Inn Ingleby Cross 1912 A pub, the design of which is misattributed by Historic England to George Jack. Sion Hill Halland Lodge Kirby Wiske near Thirsk 1913 A private residence. Some similarities with Malton School are evident - the high pitch roof and tall chimneys, for example. The drainpipe is almost identical to the one in Malton School quad. (The white one is on Sion Hill Hall, the black is Malton School). Water Tower Ingleby Arncliffe 1915 Commissioned by Middlesbrough ironmaster Hugh Bell. "Sir Hugh Bell built this tower as part of a water supply to Arncliffe and Rounton, AD 1915." is inscribed on the lintel. Woodlands Hall Aislaby 1919–1921 Remodelling and extensions. Dringhouses War Memorial Dringhouses 1922 Located outside Church of St Edward the Confessor. St Chad's Church York 1925–26 Goddards House and Garden and Carriage Entrance Dringhouses 1926–27 Built for Noel Terry of the Terry's chocolate manufacturing family. It was Brierley's last building.
The "List Entry" number is a unique number assigned to each listed building and scheduled monument by Historic England. (This is left blank if the building is not listed).
References
See also Exhibition celebrating 60 years of York Civic Trust P. Nuttgens, Brierley in Yorkshire: The Architecture of the Turn of the Century (York Georgian Society, 1984)