Walter Albert Catlow was born in Leicestershire, England in 1862. He was articled to Joseph Goddard (1840-1900) and Alfred Henry Paget (1848-1909) of Goddard & Paget in 1876 and remained as their assistant, He commenced independent practice as an architect in Leicester in 1895. From 1895 he was in partnership with Paget and Henry Langton Goddard (1866-1944) as Goddard, Paget & Catlow. Following Paget's death in 1909 the firm became Goddard & Catlow [also known as H. L. Goddard & W. A. Catlow]. Catlow was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1904. His address was given as 8, Market Street, Leicester in 1914. He died in Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire on 31 March 1918.
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