Randall Wells

Albert Randall Wells (1877–1942) was an English Arts and Crafts architect, craftsman and inventor.

He was the son of an architect, Arthur Wells of Hastings. After a practical training in joinery and founding as well as architecture, Randall Wells was discovered by William Lethaby and acted as his resident architect at All Saints, Brockhampton-by-Ross, Herefordshire (1901–02) where Lethaby's experimentation with the employment of direct labour under a site architect instead of a contractor under a formal building contract, and deliberately produced few drawings, gave Wells freedom to evolve the design as the building rose and to engage in the physical activity of building. He worked in a similar role with ES Prior at Voewood (later Home Place), Kelling, near Holt, Norfolk (1903–04), where the exterior was faced with the stones dug from its own site, and at St Andrew's, Roker, Sunderland (1905–07), built for a local shipbuilder, John Priestman, for which he also carved the stone font.

In parallel to collaborative projects with other architects, he developed an independent practice. His own Church of St Edward the Confessor, Kempley, Gloucestershire, (1903–04), for Lord Beauchamp, has similarities to both All Saints, Brockhampton and St Andrew's, Roker, which it pre-dates. St Edward's, described by Betjeman as "a mini-cathedral of the Arts and Crafts movement", was again built from local materials by local labour under his direction. The rood screen, carved by a man said to have been the last ship's figurehead carver in London, was painted by Wells and his brother Linley. All these churches made an early use of concrete. Following his work at Home Place, he built the new D'Oyly Carte Wing and Chapel at the nearby Kelling Sanatorium, High Kelling (1906–07). In 1910–12 he carried out repairs to the medieval St John the Baptist Church, Thaxted, Essex, removing the cement render covering the exterior, and installing The Stellar, a great star-shaped candelabra hanging in the cross aisle, which he had originally designed for St Mary's, Primrose Hill, London, but was rejected by the Vicar there.

...
Wikipedia