Arthur Wakerley

The Turkey Cafe, Granby Street, Leicester

Arthur Wakerley (1862–1931) was a British architect, businessman and politician. Born in Melton Mowbray, he was articled to James Bird. He was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects 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 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.[1] 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.[2] He stood as a Liberal candidate in 1895 and 1900.[3]

Outside work and politics Arthur Wakerley was an enthusiastic Wesleyan lay preacher and ardent temperance worker as well as being interested in archaeology and poetry.

He planned the development of the North Evington area.[4] Other examples of his architectural work in Leicester include the Turkey Cafe, Granby Street (1901), the Synagogue on Highfield Street,[5] the Coronation Buildings, High Street (1901–03; formerly known as the Singer Building)[6] and the Wycliffe Society Cottage Homes for the Blind.[7]

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, 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, Belfast and Welwyn Garden City.[7]

Name Location Type Completed [note 1]Date designated Grid ref.[note 2]
Geo-coordinates		 Entry number [note 3]Image
No 8 Bishop Street Town Hall Square, central Leicester Solicitor's office 1887 14 March 1975 SK5886104310
52°38′00″N 1°07′54″W / 52.633359°N 1.1317236°W / 52.633359; -1.1317236 (No 8 Bishop Street)		 1200501
Smith's shop 122 London Road and 2–4 Highfield Street, Leicester Shop 1888 14 August 1997 SK5965703688
52°37′40″N 1°07′12″W / 52.627681°N 1.1200757°W / 52.627681; -1.1200757 (Smith's shop)		 1245131
Hunter Lodge 138, Gwendolen Road, North Evington, now a local authority hostel, built as house for the Wycliffe Society for the Blind Houses for blind people 1897 10 September 2001 SK6101704039
52°37′50″N 1°06′00″W / 52.630685°N 1.0999214°W / 52.630685; -1.0999214 (Hunter Lodge)		 1389422
Leicester Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Highfield Street, Leicester Place of worship 1897-8 31 January 2002 SK5979503795
52°37′43″N 1°07′05″W / 52.628628°N 1.1180179°W / 52.628628; -1.1180179 (Leicester Hebrew Congregation)		 1389696
Belgrave Hall Wesleyan Methodist Church now Belgrave Community Centre, Leicester, on the corner of Belgrave Road and Rothley Street Place of worship 1898-9 13 September 2006 SK5943405987
52°38′54″N 1°07′23″W / 52.64837°N 1.1229568°W / 52.64837; -1.1229568 (Belgrave Hall Wesleyan Methodist Church)		 1407227
North Evington Police Station Asfordby Street, Leicester. (Part of the North Evington Development Scheme) Police Station 1899 15 February 1994 SK6061304791
52°38′15″N 1°06′21″W / 52.63749°N 1.1057518°W / 52.63749; -1.1057518 (North Evington Police Station)		 1263368
The Singer Building Now known as Coronation Building,76–88 High Street, Leicester Commercial building 1902–04 12 March 1996 SK5847004521
52°38′07″N 1°08′15″W / 52.635298°N 1.1374628°W / 52.635298; -1.1374628 (The Singer Building)		 1270257
Wycliffe Hall Gedding Road, North Evington. Built as Hall for Blind, now the Sam Cooper Day Centre Social centre for blind people 1906 10 September 2001 SK6105504032
52°37′50″N 1°05′58″W / 52.630618°N 1.0993613°W / 52.630618; -1.0993613 (Wycliffe Hall)		 1389423
Wycliffe Society Houses 65–75 Gedding Road, North Evington Cottages for blind people 1916–17 10 September 2001 SK6107604054
52°37′51″N 1°05′57″W / 52.630813°N 1.099047°W / 52.630813; -1.099047 (Wycliffe Society Houses)		 1389424
Royal Leicestershire, Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind Workshops Margaret Road, North Evington Workshops for blind people 1920–23 10 September 2001 SK6101804092
52°37′52″N 1°06′00″W / 52.631162°N 1.0998968°W / 52.631162; -1.0998968 (Royal Leicestershire, Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind Workshops)		 1389420
18 and 20, Linton Street Highfields ('Wakerley Council House') Council Houses 1922 9 April 1996 SK6042803535
52°37′34″N 1°06′31″W / 52.626221°N 1.1087146°W / 52.626221; -1.1087146 (18 and 20, Linton Street)		 1268496
17 and 19 Dore Road Highfields (Council Housing to Wakerley's design) Council Houses 1922 9 April 1996 SK6050803627
52°37′37″N 1°06′27″W / 52.627039°N 1.1075161°W / 52.627039; -1.1075161 (17 and 19 Dore Road)		 1268497
19 and 21 Great Arler Road Knighton Fields (Council Housing to Wakerley's design) Council Houses 1922 9 April 1996 SK5943101555
52°36′31″N 1°07′26″W / 52.608533°N 1.123797°W / 52.608533; -1.123797 (19 and 21 Great Arler Road)		 1268498
59 and 61 Dunster Street Westcotes, (Council Housing to Wakerley's design) Council Houses 1922 9 April 1996 SK5695004101
52°37′54″N 1°09′36″W / 52.631684°N 1.1599925°W / 52.631684; -1.1599925 (59 and 61 Dunster Street)		 1268499

Notes to the table

  1. ↑ The date given is the date used by Historic England as significant for the initial building or that of an important part in the structure's description.
  2. ↑ Sometimes known as OSGB36, the grid reference is based on the British national grid reference system used by the Ordnance Survey.
  3. ↑ The "List Entry Number" is a unique number assigned to each listed building and scheduled monument by Historic England.

References

  1. ↑ James Moore, The Transformation of Urban Liberalism (Ashgate:2006),p.162.
  2. ↑ Welford Road Cemetery, https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://uk.geocities.com/welford_road_cemetery/wrc-w.htm&date=2009-10-25+04:32:58
  3. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  4. ↑ Victoria County History, Leicestershire. "Evington". British History Online. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. ↑ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-488423-leicester-hebrew-congregation-leicester
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
  7. 1 2 JEAN FARQUAR, Arthur Wakerley 1862–1931 (London, Sedgebrook Press: 1984).
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