Reginald Theodore Blomfield was born in Exeter, England, on 20 December 1856 and studied at Exeter College, Oxford. From 1880 to 1883 he was articled to his uncle, Sir Arthur William Blomfield (1829-1899) in London, during which time he also attended the Royal Academy Schools in London. After completing his articles he worked as an assistant in his uncle’s practice. In 1884 he left to set up his own practice in London.
He began his career as an architect with a number of modest commissions but went on to design several significant buildings influenced by the French classical style including the Wordsworth Building, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (1896), the Army and Navy Stores warehouse, London (1900) and Goldsmiths’ College, University of London (1907-08). He also redesigned the Quadrant at Piccadilly Circus, London (1910-30). Blomfield was a talented illustrator, garden designer, and the author of several books on architecture and related matters. He was a founder member of the Art Workers’ Guild in 1884 and subsequently was made its honorary secretary.
Blomfield was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1906 and was President of Royal Institute of British Architects (PRIBA) from 1912 to 1914. He was Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy from 1906 to 1910 and was elected a Royal Academician (RA) in 1914. He was knighted in for his services to architecture in 1919. Blomfield died in Hampstead, England, on 27 December 1942
A biographical file on Reginald Theodore Blomfield is available on Request at the Enquiry Desk, Royal Institute of British Architects Library, London
Five houses on St. Catherine's estate in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire (1887); 20 Buckingham Gate, Westminster, Middlesex (1887); Vicarage, Rye, Sussex (1887); restoration of Swinford Old Manor, near Ashford, Kent (1887); Blacknoll in Dorset (1887); New covered market, public library and art school (with William H. Wilds, 1889); Alterations and renovation of Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey (1889); Houses in Gun Garden and Watchbell Street, Rye (1890, 1910); Church, Aslockton, Nottinghamshire (1890-92); Rebuilding of St. Antonien Kapelle in Bern Switzerland (1891); Extension of All Saints church in Carshalton, Surrey (with Alfred William Blomfield, 1891-1914); Southwater, Horsham, Sussex (1891); Swiftsden, near Etchingham, Sussex (1892); Alterations to Frogmore Hall in Hertfordshire (1892); Restoration and alterations of Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire (1892-1901); Chapel, Queen Anne's School, Caversham, Oxfordshire (1893); Addition to Mystole House, near Chartham, Kent (1895); Alteration and additions to Cowley House, Middlesex (1896); Wordsworth Building, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University 1896); Parish Institute, Fratton Road, Portsea, Hampshire (1896-99); Alterations and additions, Heathfield Park, Sussex (1896-1910); Headmaster's House; St. Edmund's School, Canterbury, Kent (1897-1910); Stanstead House, Stanstead, Sussex (1900); Warehouse for Army & Navy Stores, Greycoat Place, off Victoria Street, London (1900); Saltcote Place, Rye, Sussex (1900-02); Sherbourne (Girls') School, Bradford Road, Sherbourne, Dorset (1902-26); Elwyn's House, Felsed School, Essex (1901); Barclay's Bank, Tinal Square, Chelmsford, Essex (1905); Public Library, Lincoln (1906); United University Club, Pall Mall East London (1906-07); Moundsmere Manor, Nutley, Hampshire (1908); Carrington Building, Sherbourne (Boys') School, Dorset (1909); Westgate Water Tower, Lincoln, Lincolnshire (1910); Trinity Manor, Jersey, remodelled (1910-13); New houses in North Avenue, Whiteley Village, Surrey (1911); Building for Barker's department store, Kensington High Street, London (1912-13); House and gardens, Wretham Hall, Norfolk (1912-13); Kinnaird House, Pall Mall, London (with Arthur James Driver, 1915); Brandhoek Military Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium (1915); Belgian War Memorial, Victoria Embankment, London (with Victor Rousseau, 1917); Alterations to Penn House, Buckinghamshire (1918); Restoration of Brodick Castle (1919); Extension to Carlton Club, Pall Mall, London (1920); Restoration with additions, Sulgrave Manor, Northamptonshire (1921); Derby School War Memorial (1921); Hertfordshire Regiment Memorial, Hertford (1921); Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium (1922); Royal Air Force Memorial, London (1923); New Barker's department store, Kensington High Street, London (1924); Usher Gallery, Lincoln, Lincolnshire (1926-27); Offices, 4 Carlton Gardens, London (1932)
_____
See also British Listed Buildings
Armstrong, Barrie and Armstrong, Wendy. The Arts and Crafts movement in the North West of England: a handbook. Wetherby, England: Oblong Creative Ltd., 2006
Armstrong, Barrie and Armstrong, Wendy. The Arts and Crafts movement in the North East of England: a handbook. Wetherby, England: Oblong Creative Ltd., 2013
Binney, Marcus. ‘Trinity Manor, Jersey. [Remodelled by Reginald Blomfield, 1910-13] Country Life vol. 180, no. 4642, 7 August 1986 pp. 420-425.
Blomfield, Reginald Theodore. Memoirs of an Architect. London: Macmillan, 1932
Briggs, M.S. ‘C. F. A. Voysey & Sir R. Blomfield’. The Builder 14 January 1949 pp. 39-42
Cable, Carole. Bibliography of writings by and about Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield, 1856-1942 Monticello, Illinois: Vance Bibliographies, 1985
Collingwood, Francis. ‘Sir Reginald Blomfield (1856-1942) architect and author.’ The Builder 21 December 1956 pp. 1057-1058
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
Fellows, Richard A. Sir Reginald Blomfield. London: A. Zwemmer Ltd., 1985
Fellows, Richard A. ‘Architects of the past: 1. Sir Reginald Blomfield.’ Period Home vol. 6, no. 2, February 1985 pp. 22-24.
Goodall, John. ‘An epoch-making idea: Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire, part II.’ [Restored by Reginald Blomfield] Country Life vol. 214, no. 19, 6 May 2020 pp. 68-73.
Goodall, John. ‘Playing at chequers: Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire, part I.’ [Restored by Reginald Blomfield] Country Life vol. 214, no. 19, 13 May 2020 pp. 62-67.
Gray, A. Stuart. Edwardian architecture: a biographical dictionary. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1985
Hussey, Christopher. 'Godington Park, Kent. [First part of a two-part article on Godington Park, Kent, designed by R. T. Blomfield in 1902] Country Life vol. 132, 6 December 1962 pp. 1396-1400
Hussey, Christopher. 'Godington Park, Kent. [Second part of a two-part article on Godington Park, Kent, designed by R. T. Blomfield in 1902] Country Life vol. 132, 20 December 1962 pp. 1600-1603
Jelley, F. R. 'Six of the best'. The Builder vol. 213, 28 July 1967 p. 74 [An assessment of R. T. Blomfield's book A Short History of Renaissance Architecture in England (1900)]
Marriott, Charles. Modern English Architecture. London: Chapman & Hall, 1924
Quest-Ritson, Charles. ‘Great British garden-makers: Sir Reginald Blomfield (1856-1942).’ Country Life vol. 204, no. 33, 18 August 2010 pp. 64-65.
Reilly, C. H. Representative British Architects of the Present Day. London: B. T. Batsford, 1931 [Chapter IV. Sir Reginald Blomfield pp. 54-65]
Stamp, Gavin. The English House 1860-1914. Catalogue of an exhibition of photographs and drawings. London: InternationalArchitect and the Building Centre Trust, 1980 p. 61
Who’s Who in Architecture 1914. London: Technical Journals Ltd., 1914
Who’s Who in Architecture 1923. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1923
'Obituary. The Builder vol. 164, 8 January 1943 pp. 39, 40
‘Obituary. RIBA Journal vol. 50, 1943 pp. 65-67
‘Obituary. Architect’s Journal vol. 97, 7 January 1943 pp. 3-4
‘Obituary. Architect & Building News vol. 173, 8 January 1943 p. 26