page_title: Sharpe, Paley and Austin
section_title: 1895–1914
hierarchical_section_title: Sharpe, Paley and Austin / History and works / Austin and Paley / 1895–1914
caption_attribution_description: English: St Mary's parish church, Widnes, Cheshire, seen from the southwest
context_page_description: Sharpe, Paley and Austin are the surnames of architects who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, between 1835 and 1946, working either alone or in partnership. The full names of the principals in their practice, which went under various names during its life, are Edmund Sharpe; Edward Graham Paley, who practised as E. G. Paley; Hubert James Austin; Henry Anderson Paley, son of Edward, usually known as Harry Paley; and, for a very brief period, Geoffrey Langshaw Austin, son of Hubert. The firm's commissions were mainly for buildings in Lancashire and what is now Cumbria, but also in Yorkshire, Cheshire, the West Midlands, North Wales, and Hertfordshire.
  The practice specialised in work on churches; the design of new churches, restoring older churches, and making additions or alterations. They also designed country houses, and made alterations to existing houses. Almost all their churches were designed in Gothic Revival style, except for some of Sharpe's earliest churches and a few designed later by the practice. Within the Gothic Revival style, the practice initially used Early English and, particularly, Decorated features. E. G.
context_section_description: Edward Paley died on 23 January 1895 at the age of 71, and the remaining partners continued the practice under the title Austin and Paley.  It is not clear how much Edward Paley had been contributing to the work of the practice in his later years; it is likely that by then Austin had been "the chief creative force".  The church commissions continued much as before, particularly with new churches, and also with church restorations.  New country churches included St Mark, Dolphinholme (1897–98), St Luke, Slyne (1898–1900), and St John, Flookburgh (1897–1900), the last of which incorporated Romanesque features.  After 1900 the practice designed All Saints, Barnacre (1905–06), St John, Ellel (1906–07), and St Mark, Natland (1909–10).  There were many new town churches, including St Barnabas, Morecambe (1898–1900), St John the Divine, Sandylands (1898–1901) (also in Morecambe), St Anne, Hindsford (1898–1901 now redundant), and St Thomas, St Anne's-on-the-Sea (1899–1900).  These were followed in the 20th century by new churches including St Michael, Middleton (1901–02), St Mary, Walney (1907–08), St Andrew, Starbeck, Harrogate (1909–10), and St Margaret, Halliwell, Bolton (1911–13).  Brandwood et al. describe two further buildings as the partnership's "last two major urban churches".  The first of these is St Michael and All Angels, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston (1906–08).  The other, described as the partners' "last great masterpiece" is St Mary, Widnes (1908–10).  Further ecclesiastical works were the chapels built for Sedbergh School (1895–97) and for St Bees' School (1906).
  Although church work dominated the work of the practice there were also some secular commissions.  There was no work on country houses during this period, nor were there any commissions for public buildings, other than an expansion of the Storey Institute (1906–08).  The last public building designed by the partnership was Hornby Village Institute (1914).  In the commercial field the firm designed workshops and a showroom for William Atkinson, which were among the earliest motor garages and showrooms in the provinces.  The practice continued to carry out work for the Lancaster and Skerton Cooperative Society, designing numerous shops in the local area.   The partners also carried out work on schools, in particular for Sedbergh School.  They designed an extension to Leeds Grammar School (1904–05), Llandovery College, North Wales (1901–03), Shrewsbury School (1913–14), and extra buildings for St Bees School, Rossall School, and the Clergy Daughters' School at Casterton (1896).
caption: St Mary's Church, Widnes (1908–10)
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