Harley Clarence Wilfred Strickland [also known as H. C. W. Strickland] was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, England on 6 October 1888. By 1901 he had moved with his family to Fulham, London. In the 1911 England Census, his occupation is given as Architect's Assistant. It is not known where or with whom he trained as an architect. In 1919 he was employed as an architect by Breconshire County Council in Brecon, Wales and that year was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1929.
In c.1926 he was appointed County Architect for Breconshire, a post he held until at least the early 1950s. During these years he was also in private practice. Bungalows in Gorran Haven, Cornwall designed by him are discussed in Seaside Houses and Bungalows, edited by Ella Carter (London: Country Life, 1937 p. 99.
Strickland died in 1969. His death was registered in Taunton, Somerset