Nowell Parr

Nowell Parr FRIBA
Nowell Parr, 1895
Born	Thomas Henry Nowell Parr 1864 Handsworth, Staffordshire, England
Died	23 September 1933 (aged 69) Kingston, Surrey, England[1]
Occupation	Architect
Known for	Public houses in west London, especially for Fuller's Brewery

Thomas Henry Nowell Parr FRIBA (1864 – 23 September 1933) was a British architect, best known for designing pubs in west London. Many of these were built while Parr was "house architect" for Fuller's Brewery. Parr designed various buildings in Brentford while he was surveyor and then architect to the Council from 1894 to 1907.

Early life

Parr was born in Handsworth, Staffordshire (now Birmingham), the eldest child of Thomas Parr and Frances "Fanny" Nowell. He was baptised on 20 July 1864.^[2] In 1890, his career began as an architectural assistant for Walsall Corporation architects' department, for which he worked until 1894.^[3]

Career

Brentford Council

In 1894, the Brentford Local Board employed Nowell Parr as "Surveyor to the Council", and from 1897 as an architect.^[4]

From 1896–1905, Parr was architect for five large buildings in Brentford, of which three survive: Brentford Baths, Brentford Fire Station (1897),^[5] and Brentford Library. Brentford Vestry Hall (apparently the finest of these five) was demolished in 1963, and Brentford Enclosed Market in 1982. The Market eventually became a skateboarding rink, and was also used as a backdrop for episodes of The Sweeney, the 1970s British television police drama.^[6]

Three Horseshoes, Southall

Private practice

While still working for Brentford Council, Parr began undertaking work as a pub architect. He worked for both Fuller's Brewery, Chiswick and the Royal Brewery, Brentford.^[7]

Parr started to work independently in about 1900, while still employed by Brentford UDC. He later went into partnership with fellow architect A. E. Kates, and was also joined by his son, John Nowell Parr (died 1975). He was made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1925.^[8]

Parr is notable for his frequent use of Royal Doulton glazed tiles for his pub facades, often in bright or unusual colours, such as green and a mottled slate blue at the Beehive (which has a beehive-shaped turret on top) in Brentford in 1907.^[7]

Personal life

In 1891, Parr married Betsey Fennell in Birmingham. They had three children: Marguerite Parr (1894–1978), John Nowell Parr (1897–1975) and Eunice Parr (1905-1940) John was also an architect.^[8]

In 1922, he married Mabel Harbird. They had two children: Nowell (Tim) Parr (1925-1978) and Stanley Parr (1929-2017)

Parr lived at 42 Cranley Gardens, South Kensington, London and 52 Kew Bridge Road, Brentford. He died on 23 September 1933.^[8]

Notable buildings

Brentford Public Library

• The Angel public house, 697 Uxbridge Road, Hayes, Middlesex; Grade II listed (1926)^[9]
• The Beehive, public house, 227 High Street, Brentford (1907)
• Boatmen's Institute, The Butts, Brentford; Grade II listed (1904)
• Brentford Baths, Clifden Road, Brentford; Grade II listed (1895–96)
• Brentford Fire Station, Brentford (1897) [now offices]
• Brentford Public Library, Brentford; Grade II listed (1904)
• The Cheshire Cheese, Westminster; Grade II listed (1928)^[10]
• Devonshire House (formerly the Manor Tavern), public house, Chiswick, London
• The Duke of Kent, Scotch Common, Ealing; Grade II listed (1929)
• The Duke of York, public house, 107 Devonshire Road, Chiswick, London
• The Forester, public house, Northfields, Ealing, Grade II listed (1909)
• The George, public house, 28 Hammersmith Broadway, Hammersmith, Grade II listed (1911)
• The Hole in the Wall, public house, Chiswick, London
• The Old Pack Horse, public house at Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London; Grade II listed (1905)^[11]
• Pottery Arms, public house, Claypond Lane, Brentford (1922)^[5]
• The Three Horseshoes, public house, Southall, Middlesex^[12]
• Waterman's Arms, 1 Ferry Lane, Brentford

Legacy

There is a block of flats named Nowell Parr Court at Boston Manor Road, Brentford, Middlesex.

References

1. "Deaths". The Times. 26 September 1933. p. 1.
2. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912
3. "Way Out West: Ealing and Brentford". CAMRA. The Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
4. "Nowell Parr, Architect (1864–1933)". Brentford High Street Project. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
5. Pevsner, Bridget Cherry & Nikolaus (2002). London (New ed.). New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. pp. 383–385. ISBN 978-0300096521.
6. "Thomas Henry Nowell Parr, Architect". Layton Collection. Layton Memorial & Museum Trust. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
7. "Tile Gazetteer Hounslow". Tilesoc.org.uk. Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
8. Brodie, Antonia, ed. (2001). Directory of British architects 1834–1914. London [u.a.]: Continuum. p. 322. ISBN 978-0826455147.
9. Historic England (2015). "The Angel PH (1422617)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
10. Historic England. "Cheshire Cheese Public House (1431970)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
11. Historic England. "THE OLD PACKHORSE PUBLIC HOUSE (1240781)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
12. "The Three Horseshoes, Southall". CAMRA. The Campaign for Real Ale. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013.