William Winde

Who was William Winde?

Captain William Winde was an English gentleman architect, whose Royalist military career, resulting in fortifications and topographical surveys but lack of preferment, and his later career, following the Glorious Revolution, as designer or simply "conductor" of the works of country houses, has been epitomised by Howard Colvin, who said that "Winde ranks with Hooke, May, Pratt and Talman as one of the principal English country house architects of the late seventeenth century".

Winde was born in Holland to English parents.

Time has not been kind to his productions. His work included:

Hampstead Marshall, where he completed a house begun by Sir Balthazar Gerbier, c. 1662-1688, from the dates on many surviving drawings. Thomas Strong, mason; Edward Pierce, carpenter; Edward Goudge, plasterer. Destroyed by fire 1718. Gate piers remain.

possibly Cliveden House, Buckinghamshire c.1676-8. Destroyed by fire 1795 and rebuilt.

Coombe Abbey, near Coventry. Rebuilt centre block and north wing, c. 1682-88. North wing demolished.

Buckingham House, 1702-05. Completely embodied in Buckingham Palace.