Join us for this free talk on the life and work of Charles Watson by Dr Christopher Webster

This talk is based on the speaker’s forthcoming book about Watson and it will examine a selection of the almost 200 building projects for which documentation survives or where attribution is convincing. There are many exciting discoveries.

Watson was assessed by Howard Colvin, arguably the most eminent and respected biographer of Georgian architects, as ‘the leading architect in Yorkshire’ in the early nineteenth century. These words were repeated by Giles Worsley, one of Britain’s ‘most distinguished … experts on Georgian architecture’. Colvin added that Watson ‘developed an extensive practice’ and another writer saw him as ‘the most employed architect’ in Yorkshire’. He was ‘assessed to be the cleverest man in the county in his profession’ Praise doesn’t get much better than this.

The talk will examine a selection of his fine buildings – mansions, town houses, public buildings, hospitals and places of worship, especially those in and around Wakefield, a handful of which were of national significance, including Wakefield’s Court House and the former Lunatic Asylum, Stanley Royd. However, his numerous successes raise an interesting question: why is Watson now almost airbrushed from history except among a handful of specialists?

The talk – and especially the book – will provide several convincing answers, ones intended to re-establish Watson in his rightful place, as an outstandingly talented and important architect, unquestionably, one of the ‘Worthies of Wakefield’.

The talk is free to attend and is open to anyone interested in the subject. It will be held in the Kingswood Suite on the first floor of the Town Hall (lift available).

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For anyone unable to attend the talk in person, a live stream will be available via Zoom. When booking your ticket(s) , please make you to select either the 'in person' ticket if you are planning to come along to the Town Hall or the 'live stream' ticket if you are going to watch on line. A Zoom link will be sent to you on the day of the event.

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