John Carr (architect)

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John Carr (architect) : biography

1723 – 22 February 1807

Among the buildings accessible in whole or part to the public today are Buxton Crescent, Newark Town Hall, virtually all his bridges, Harewood House, Tabley House Clifton House (a museum in Rotherham), Lytham Hall and Burton Constable Hall.

Influences

During his long career there were several major changes in architectural style. His early work is a mixture of the Palladian and the Rococo. He then sought a purer Antique Roman style with occasional French influences before adapting the currently fashionable style associated with Robert Adam. At the end of his life he returned to the bolder Palladian style of his youth but with detail that looked forward to 19th-century usage.

Carr’s work was influenced by the books of Sebastiano Serlio and Andrea Palladio. He subscribed to many architectural pattern books, including those of his friend George Richardson, and also contemporary publications by Robert Morris and William Chambers.

List of works

Public buildings

(dem = demolished) in chronological order, county given if not Yorkshire

  • York The Pikeing Well-House New Walk 1752–56
  • York Grandstand Knavesmire Racecourse 1755–56 dem
  • Beverley Assembly Rooms, 1761–63 dem
  • Wakefield, The House of Correction, 1766–70 dem
  • Leeds, The General Infirmary, 1768–71 dem
  • Oporto, Portugal, The Hospital de Santo António 1769-c. 1843
  • Newark, Notts., Town Hall, Assembly Rooms and Market Hall, 1773–76
  • York, Assize Courts, 1773–77
  • York County Lunatic Asylum, now Bootham Park Hospital 1774–77
  • Lincoln, Lincs., Lincoln County Hospital 1776
  • Doncaster, Racecourse Grandstand, 1777–81 dem
  • Nottingham, racecourse grandstand, 1777 dem
  • Nottingham, Notts., Assembly Rooms, 1778 dem
  • Kelso, Roxburghs., design for Racecourse Grandstand, 1778 (built in 1822)
  • Buxton, Derbys., The Assembly Rooms in the Crescent 1779–90
  • York, The Female Prison, 1780–83
  • Northallerton, Court House, 1784–88 dem
  • Northallerton, House of Correction 1784–88
  • Chesterfield, Derbys., Town Hall, 1787–88 dem
  • Lismore, Waterford, design for Session House, 1799

Churches

  • Ravenfield, 1756;
  • Kirkleatham, Payment for design, 1759;
  • Dewsbury, Partly rebuilt 1765-7;
  • Bierley, 1766; attributed:
  • Boynton, largely rebuilt 1768–70;
  • York Minster, survey and repairs 1770-3 and 1794–97;
  • Sheffield, St. Peter, alterations 1773-5 ;
  • Rokeby, completed church 1777-8;
  • Denton, 1776; attributed
  • Holy Rood Church, Ossington, Notts., 1782-3;
  • St Peter and St Leonard’s Church, Horbury, 1790-4.

Bridges

North and East Ridings of Yorkshire

  • Aysgarth (R.Ure), 1788;
  • Ayton (R.Derwent), 1775;
  • Bainbridge (Yore Bridge, River Ure, (1793) and Bain Bridge, River Bain, (widened 1785))
  • Birdforth (Birdforth Beck) 1798dem;
  • Bow Bridge, (R.Rye), 1789;
  • Catterick (R.Swale) 1792;
  • Crambeck 1785;
  • Croft (R. Tees), 1795;
  • Danby Wiske, 1782;
  • Downholme, (R.Swale), 1773;
  • East Row,Sandsend, nr. Whitby, 1777;
  • Ellerbeck, nr. Osmotherley, 1790;
  • Greta, nr.Rokeby, 1773;
  • Grinton (R.Swale), 1797;
  • Hawnby (R.Rye), 1800;
  • Howsham Bridge not executed
  • Kilvington (Spital Beck), 1774dem;
  • Kirkham Bridge not executed
  • Low Bourn (R.Burn), nr. Masham 1775;
  • Morton on Swale (R.Swale), 1800-3;
  • South Otterington (R.Wiske) 1776;
  • Reeth (Arkle Beck), 1772-3;
  • Riccall,nr. Helmsley, 1803;
  • Richmond (R.Swale), 1789;
  • Rutherford (R.Greta), 1773;
  • Skeeby nr. Richmond, 1782;
  • Skipton on Swale, 1783;
  • Strensall, (R.Foss), 1798,
  • Thirkleby, 1799;
  • Thirsk Mill, Millgate, (over Cod Beck) 1789;
  • York, Yearsley Bridge (R.Foss) 1794-5;