Tilden, Philip Armstrong 1887 - 1956

Philip Tilden

Philip Armstrong Tilden [commonly known as Philip Tilden] was born in Birmingham, England on 31 May 1887 and was articled to Thomas Edward Collcutt (1840-1926) in London from 1905 to 1908. He also attended the Architectural Association Schools in London.   In 1906 Collcutt formed the architectural partnership Collcutt & Hamp with Stanley Hinge Hamp (1877-1968).  Tilden subsequently became a partner in the practice which was renamed Colcutt, Hamp & Tilden.

The partnership with Collcutt and Hamp appears to have been short-lived and by 1917 Tilden had established his own practice. Over the next decade he worked on several large town and country house commissions for high-profile clients including Winston Churchill, Sir Phlip Sassoon, David Lloyd George, Gordon Selfridge, Lady Ottoline Morrell.

In addition to his work as an architect Tilden designed a number of important gardens including at Chartwell in Westerham, Kent; Allington Castle in Maidstone, Kent; Garsington Manor in Oxford, Oxfordshire; Knebworth in Stevenage, Hertfordshire; Port Lympne in Hythe, Kent; and Sydenham House in Launceston, Devon. He also designed bookplates, including for the Prince of Wales, Sir Philip Sassoon , and Ivor Novello; and furniture, including an oak table made by Heal & Son, for Winston Churchill at Chartwell in 1930.  Paintings by Tilden were exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh between 1912 and 1923.

Tilden was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1929.   His address was given as The Oaks, Northwood, London in 1912; 3 Pelham Crescent, London in 1923; 59 Doughty Street, London in 1926; 320 Regent Street, London in 1929;  and Rowden, Sampford Courtnay, Devon in 1935 and 1939. He died in Shute, Devon on 25 February 1956

Worked in
UK
Works

Completed commissions:  Tilden Cottage, Grove Road, Hindhead, Surrey, for David and Bertha Ker (c.1910);  Remodelling of Buckshead, Townshend, Cornwall, for Dr. Francis Chown (1911); Porth-en-Alls, Prussia Cove, Cornwall, for T.T. and Brian Behrens (1911-14); Restoration, addition of new wing and layout of gardens at Kingston Russell House, Dorset for George Gribble (1913-14); Interior Decoration of Wardes, Otham, Kent, for Sir Louis Mallet (1917-18); Restoration of Allington Castle, Kent for Sir Martin Conway with new gate-house cottage and layout of garden for Sir Marton Conway (1917-33);  Restoration of Long Crendon Manor, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, for Laline Hohler (1918-22); Alterations and additions for Port Lympne, Lympne, Kent, for Sir Philip Sassoon (1918-23); Remodelling of Bellevue, Lympne, Kent, for Sir Louis Mallet (c.1919); Partial rebuilding of Easton Loddge, Essex, damaged by fire, for the Countess of Warwick (1919); Alterations to 3 Pelham Crescent, for himself (1919); Alterations and interior decoration to Rowde,  Sampford Courtnay, Devon (1919 onwards); Alterations to 20 Portman Square, London, for Lord and Lady Islington (1919-20); Alterations to 62 Portland Place, London, for Dudley Ward (1921); alterations and addions to Nether Winchenddon House, Buckinghamshire, for Lt. Co. Frank Bernard (1921-26); Remodelling of interior of 25 Park Lane, London, for Sir Philip Sassoon (1922); Bron-y-de in Churt, Surrey, for David Lloyd George (1922); Alterations to 10 Cheyne Walk, London, for David Llloyd George (1923); Alterations to 12 North Audley Street, London, for Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill (1923); Remodelling of Chartwell Manor, Westerham, Kent, for Winston Churchll (1923-24); Bellasis, Box Hill, Headley, Surrey, for Lady Rosalind Ridley (1923-26); Alterations and additions to Little Danby, Yafforth, near Northallerton, Yorkshire, for Clement W. Parish (1924-29); Alterations to Combe, Dulverton, Somerset, for Col. E.J. Harrison (1924-26);  Alterations and additions to Watlington Park, Oxfordshire for Oliver Brett (1925-27); Alterations and additions to Ramster, Chiddingford, Surrey, for Sir Henry Norman (1925); Library on top floor of 8 Shoe Lane, London for Lord Beaverbook (1925); Garsington Manor, Garsington, Oxfordshire, for Philip and Lady Ottoline Morrell (1925-26); Village hall, High Ham, Somerset, for Dr. Hugh L. Ballot (1925-26); Alterations to 71 South Audley Street, London for Violet, Duchesse of Westminster (1925-26); Block of flats, 86, Portland Place, London, for Duncan House Ltd. (1925-28); House, Battlerswell Farm, Northwood  Road, Harefield, Middlesex, for Mrs Hamilton, Wicks (1926); New shopfront, 52 South Audley Street, London for G. Jetley (1926); 29 Abercorn Place, London, for Lord Victor Paget (1926-27); Rosia, Church Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, for Brig-Gen. F.G.E. Cannot (1927);  Extension to Bron-y-de in Churt, Surrey, for David Lloyd George (1927); Temple and gardens at Holl Hall, Essex for Sir Robert and Lady Hudson (1927-28); Bernard Hall, village hall, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, for Col. Frank Bernard (1929); Remodelling of domestic offices, and a new dining room at Llwyn Madoc, Beaulah, Powys, for H.A. Evans-Thomas (1930); Remodelling of west front of Caer Beris Manor, Builth Wells, Powys, for  Lord Swansea (1930-31); Alterations to flat, Park Lodge, Knightsbridge, London, for Clement W. Parish (c.1931); Poulsen's Club nightclub, Datchet, Berkshire, for Martin Poulsen (1931);  House, John Street, London for George Pinckard (1931-32); Alterations to Woodbury Hall, Sandy, Bedfordshire, for R.J.V. Astell (1931-33); Alterations and additions to Britwell House, Oxfordshire for Masjor G. C. Whitaker (1932-35); Housing development, South Hayes, for Lt. Col. C. W. Ward (1935-36); Restoration, principally of Audience Chamber, Saltwood Castle, Kent for Lord and Lady Conway (1935-37); First Church of St. John Bosco (chapel of the Salesian Missionary College) for the Salesians of Don Bosco, Shrigley Hall, Pott Shrigley, Cheshire (1935-38); Restoration of Sydenham House, Devon for Major James Despencer-Robertson (1938-39); Victory Cottage, Broadhembury, Devon, for Sir Cedric Drews (1945); Restoration work, Compton Castle, Decon for Commander W. R. Gilbert (1945-46); Alterations to Antony, Cornwall for Sir John Carew Pole 1945-47); Restoration of Wortham Manor, Lifton, Devon, for himself (1945-48); Alterations to house, North Mymms Park, Hertfordshire, for Major W.A.G. George Burns (1946-47); Alterations to Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire, for Sir Harold Wernher (1947); Formation of new domestic offices offices out of old dining room, and new dining room, Luscombe Castle, Dawlish, Devon, for Sir Peter Hoare (1947-48); Alterations to Cortachy Castle, Tayside for the 12th Earl of Airlie (1947-49); Partial restoration of Dunsland House, Holsworthy, Devon, for himself by Tilden (1948-53); Alterations to Whitfield, Herefordshire for Lady Mary Clive (1948-53); Remodelling of the front of Knebworth House, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, for Cameron Cobbald (1949-50); Alterations and additions to Clouds Hill, Offley, Hertfordshire, for Lord Lloyd (1950-51); and Blackhall, Clane, Co. Kildare, Ireland for Lord Astor and Sir Harld Wernher (1951-53);

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See also: UK Modern House [link below]

Historic England [link below]

British Listed Buildings [link below]

Bibliography

Bettley, James.’Lush and luxurious’: life and work of Philip Tilden 1887-1956. London: Royal Institute of British architects, Heinz Gallery, 1987 [Exhibition catalogue]

Button, Roger.  Arts and Crafts Churches of Great Britain: Architects, Craftsmen and Patrons.. Settle, North Yorkshire: 2QT Ltd. (Publishing) Ltd., 2020

Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001

Drury, Michael. Wandering Architects. In Pursuit of an Arts and Crafts Ideal. Donington: Shaun Tyas, revised edition, 2016 [Chapter 9. The Far West. Philip Tilden pp. 195-214]

‘Obituary’. The Builder 6 April 1956 p.260

Tankard, Judith B. ‘Lush gardens of luxury’. Apollo December 2006 pp.95-96

Tilden, Philip. True remembrances : the memoirs of an architect. London : Country Life, 1954

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