John Soane

Sir John Soane, architect, was educated during his early years in Reading. From 1771 he attended the Royal Academy Schools where he studied for seven years. Between 1778 and 1781 Soane embarked on a Grand Tour and spent a considerable period drawing and measuring the buildings in Rome. It was during this time that he developed his appreciation of French and Italian archiecture. His first commission came in 1781 at Hamels, Hertfordshire. There he build a lodge and dairy that were completed in 1783. His later commissions and additions included buildings in Suffolk and Norfolk such as Letton Hall; Shotesham Park; Tendringham Hall; as well as Gronville, Caius College, Cambridge; Wardour Castle, Wiltshire; Walpole Park, Greater London; and Royal Hospital, Chelsea. His most famous work however, was found at the Bank of England, where he redesigned and extended the plan of the building to three and a half acres. This work was carried out between 1788 and 1833. It is also worth noting that his home at 12 Lincoln's Inn Fields became a museum devoted to the history of architecture and was developed following his professorship at the Royal Academy in 1809.

Read more about Sir John Soane in the Parks & Gardens UK blog: http://parksandgardensuk.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/sir-john-soane-and-gardens/ and http://parksandgardensuk.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/sir-john-soane-and-gardens-continued/