Catalogue description Charlewood Curry, architects, Newcastle

This collection, from the Newcastle architectural practice 'Charlewood Curry', contains plans, drawings and photographs for a number of significant ecclesiastical and other buildings constructed, extended and/or restored by the partnership in its various stages (from its beginnings as 'Austin & Johnson' through to the 'Hicks & Charlewood', 'Wilson & Wilson' and 'Charlewood, Curry, Wilson & Atkinson' partnerships).

The collection includes parish churches at Ashington, Eppleton, Ford, Gosforth, Haltwhistle, Jesmond, Keswick, and Whitburn; Methodist churches at Gateshead and Kenton; vicarage buildings at Shilbottle, Heddon on the wall and Sedgefield; church halls at Berwick, Jarrow and Monkseaton; cathedral buildings at Carlisle, Ripon, Newcastle and not least Zanzibar. Gatehouse/Tarset Pele, Haughton Castle, Morpeth Courthouse, Durham St Chad's College and Brough Park are just some of the secular buildings included in the collection.

The collection also contains some plans and drawings from the local architects H H Atkinson and H L Honeyman, as well as a few from other architects and architectural firms connected with Charlewood Curry through various building projects.

There are also a large number of photographs and some architectural survey notebooks/sketchbooks (dating from 1875-1948) as well as some correspondence.

There was evidence of some previous arrangement of the collection (alphabetically by building) carried out by the firm, and this order has been preserved. This means that some plans by architects or organisations outside the 'Hicks & Charlewood', 'Charlewood & Curry' firms etc, are found within series related to a particular building. The series of plans by H L Honeyman had already been grouped together, as had those by H H Atkinson. However the 'miscellaneous' series consists of plans and other items which remain unidentified or did not orginally 'belong' to any of the previously organised series.

The Incorporated Church Building Society archive holds a number of plans and drawings by the architects within the above named firms. These plans and drawings can be viewed at the archive's website www.churchplansonline.org.

The architectural firm began practising under the name 'Charlewood Curry' around the mid 1980's, but this modern firm had a direct link with several previous existing businesses all based in Newcastle, and the architects who practised within them.

The origins of all these firms began in 1882 when architect William Searle Hicks (b1849-d1902), who had been formerly articled to, and later a partner in the firm of 'Austin & Johnson' (successors to John Dobson, architect), established his own business.

In 1888 he was joined by his brother in law, Henry Clement Charlewood (b1857-d1943) to form 'Hicks & Charlewood'. W S Hicks was Diocesan Surveyor for Newcastle, and the practice specialised in the building and restoration of churches.

W S Hicks died in 1902, but he and H C Charlewood were succeeded by their sons Henry Leicester (Harry) Hicks (c1881-d1947) and George E Charlewood (b1890-d1962). By 1936 both sons were operating separately, and H L Hicks died in 1947.

G E Charlewood continued to practise alone until 1958 when he was joined by Ian Curry to form 'Charlewood & Curry'. After G E Charlewood's death in 1962, Ian Curry continued the practice, joining forces around 1971 with 'Wilson, Wilson & Atkinson' (which included the architect Harry H Atkinson), to become 'Charlewood, Curry, Wilson and Atkinson'.

Harry H Atkinson retired in 1984 and two years later, in 1986, Christopher Downs became Curry's new partner, by which time the firm was known as 'Charlewood Curry'. This firm was dissolved in 1993 with Downs establishing his own practise, and Curry taking on the role of resident architect at Durham Cathedral.

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