Arthur Conran Blomfield was born in Richmond, Surrey on 15 December 1863. Architecture was very much the family profession - his father, Arthur William Blomfield (1829-1899), his brother, Charles James Blomfield (1862-1932) and his cousin, Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield (1856-1942), were all architects. After attending Trinity College, Cambridge, and the Royal Academy Schools in London, A.C. Blomfield was articled to his father in his London office from 1884 to 1887. He then worked as an assistant to Sir Ernest George (1839-1922) and Harold Ainsworth Peto (1854-1933).
He set up an independent practice at 6 Montague Place, Baker Street, London, in 1889. In 1890, with his father and brother, he formed the London-based architectural firm Arthur Blomfield & Sons [also known as Sir A.W. Blomfield & Sons]. From c.1930 he was in partnership with Arthur James Driver (1871-1940) as Blomfield & Driver.
A.C. Blomfield specialised in designing banks. In addition to designing Barclay's Bank at Pall Mall East, London, he designed banks elsewhere in London and in Luton, Ipswich, Twickenham, Windsor, Woking, Teddington, Bushey, Lothbury, etc. He also designed churches in Acton, Ealing, Southall, Forest Row, and elsewhere, and buildings at Oundle School in Northamptonshire. He was architect to the Bank of England from 1900 onwards and architect to King Edward VIII at Sandringham.
Photographs of a corner of the courtyard, the front terrace, the dining room and the entrance hall of 'Hollington House, Newbury, designed by A.C. Blomfield are featured in 'The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art' 1907 (pp.14, 15, 50, 51).
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1901. A.C. Blomfield died in London on 22 November 1935.
Bank Buildings, Prince's Street, B.C.; Record Office for Bank of England, at Barnes; Barclay's Banks — head office in Lombard Street, Fleet Street, and many other new banks for them and for the London County and Westminster Bank in the country; Law Union and Rock Insurance Offices, Chancery Lane: Anglo-American Telegraph Co.'s Office, Old Broad Street; Friars House, New Broad Street, E.C.; Christ's Hospital Offices, Great Tower Street; Canada Life Office, King Street, B.C.; Hollington House, Newbury; Stanstead Park, Havant; Great Hall and Science Schools at Oundle School; additions to Sandringham for the late King Edward VII.; extensive work at Ickworth for the Marquess of Bristol; additions to country houses; and several now churches. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
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Barclays Bank, Pall Mall East; Barclays Banks: — Fleet Street, Luton, Chelmsford, Guildford, Barnet, Brighton, Ipswich and elsewhere. Westminster Banks: — Twickenham, Windsor, Woking, Teddington, Bushey, and elsewhere. "Friars House", New Broad Street; Law Union and Rock, Chancery Lane; Bank Buildings, Lothbury; Christ's Hospital offices, Great Tower Street; Oundle School (Northants), Seat hall, science block, boarding houses, Memorial Chapel, etc. Hollington House, Newbury; Stansted Park; and other country houses. Churches at Acton, Ealing, and Southall, for the Ecclesiastical Commissioners ; church at Forest Bow; school chapel, Epsom College; Eastern Bank, Crosby Square, etc. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture: 1923]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 149, 1935 p. 959
'Obituary'. RIBA Journal 18 January 1936 p. 314
Who's Who in Architecture 1914. London: Technical Journals Ltd., 1914
Who's Who in Architecture 1923. Edited by Frederick Chatteron. London: The Architectural Press, 1923