He came from a Durham family, and went to London, where he became a pupil of John Nash. He then started his own practice which lasted for some 60 years, where he became an expert in medieval fortifications, building and altering over 73 country houses.
Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) was a highly successful and respected architect who specialised In building country houses and restoring and improving castles. He had worked on over 300 projects, including the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and Alnwick Castle in
Northumberland and was responsible as the Architect for the remodeling of Duntser Castle.
His first designs for Dunster Castle were estimated to cost £35,000, but George Luttrell found them too expensive. Salvin altered these designs and the final bill for the work to the castle was a more modest £25,350. Perhaps the biggest alteration was moving the servants quarters from the western to the eastern end of the house by adding the Kitchen Tower - which enhances the castle look - and the Servants Wing, most of which is cleverly hidden from view in a semi-basement.
Salvin also installed the latest in Victorian technology including hot running water, gas lighting, central heating, and a state-of-the-art kitchen range by Stuart and Smith of Sheffield.
The Servants Wing had rooms dedicated to specific tasks, such as the Dairy Larder, where the milk, cream, butter and cheese were kept, the Game Larder in which the castles supply of meat, poultry and game could be stored, and the Still Room where preserves were made and breakfast trays prepared.
Anthony Salvin worked in medieval, Tudor,
Elizabethan and Jacobean styles
and was particularly skilled In
adapting existing buildings to meet
the needs of his wealthy clients.
Salvin was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1836, became vice-president in 1839 and in 1863 the Institute conferred it's gold medal on him.
|
)
)
)