John Norton (architect)
| John Norton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 September 1823 |
| Died | 10 November 1904 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Architect |
John Norton (28 September 1823 – 10 November 1904) was an English architect who designed country houses, churches and a number of commercial buildings.
Norton was born and educated in Bristol. He became the pupil of architect Benjamin Ferrey (1810–80) in 1846. Ferrey was an early member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a close friend of the designer Augustus Pugin (1812–52), who took his inspiration from the Gothic medieval styles of the pre-Reformation era. Ferrey's association with Pugin had a profound effect upon Norton, who adopted Pugin's principles and Christian moral dimensions in his own subsequent designs for church architecture. The vital tenets of Pugin's and thus Norton's creed were centred on the revival of the pointed structure of the Gothic arch.
It was argued that only this construction truly symbolised Christian striving towards heaven and Christ's resurrection, Classical architecture having been based on pagan temples. Furthermore, that '...there should be no features about a building which are not necessary for convenience, construction or propriety,...all ornament should consist of enrichment of the essential construction of the building...[and that] in pure architecture the smallest detail should have a meaning or serve a purpose.'
Pugin died in 1852 at the time that Norton, not yet 30, was to embark upon a succession of Gothic revivalist designs for parish churches throughout Somerset. Ferrey had continued to maintain a thriving architectural practice in the west of England and had been appointed honorary architect to the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Norton, although now based in London also maintained a Bristol office.
Norton's association with Sir Peregrine Acland, who donated the £16,000 necessary to rebuild the former mediaeval church of St. Audries, bore further fruit with the commission to design Stogursey School in 1860.This was undertaken by Norton with his now customary flamboyance and dedication to the ideals of Gothic revivalism, and was constructed from local Quantock stone with Bath stone dressings. The school stands in use today.
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