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Wednesday, 8 April 2026

So Who Were the Goddards?

 An A-Z of Architects of Loughborough

For a complete list of the A-Z posts please head over to the bloglist.


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I should perhaps share with you the work of the architectural practice Gollins Melvin Ward and Partners, who were responsible for the design of the Towers Hall of residence, opened in 1965, on what is now the university campus, but I have already written about this elsewhere, so instead I present you with the Goddards!

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Goddard, Paget, and Goddard

So, you may already know that the HSBC bank in Loughborough Market Place is a grade II listed building that was designed by the Leicester architectural firm of Goddard, Paget, and Goddard

Short company history

Goddard and Paget was founded in Leicester in 1874 by Joseph Goddard, son of Henry Goddard an architect, and son of Henry Goddard also an architect, and Alfred Henry Paget, both of Leicester. In 1889 they were joined by Joseph’s son, Henry Langton Goddard, and the firm name changed to Goddard Paget and Goddard. This changed again in 1895 when Walter Albert Catlow joined, and became Goddard Paget & Catlow, then again in 1900, to Goddard & Catlow.

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Brief Details

Name: Goddard, Paget, and Goddard

Place of work/Offices: Leicester

Partners:

Joseph Goddard (1840-1900)

Alfred Henry Paget (1848-1909)

Henry Langton Goddard (1866-1944)

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What follows is a selection of buildings designed by the architectural practice of Goddard, Paget, and Goddard

Note: this is a selective, not a comprehensive listing.

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Selected Works

*Loughborough‘s HSBC bank for the Leicestershire Banking company 1898 (Goddard, Paget, and Goddard)

*Atkins Building Lower Bond Street Hinckley, opposite the museum, the oldest knitting factory in the world, now a creative business space 1875-7 (Goddard and Paget)

*Leicester Town Hall Clock 1868 (Joseph Goddard alone)

*Leicester’s Thomas Cook building rebuild 1894 (Goddard, Paget, and Goddard)

*Radcliff church 1879 (Goddard and Paget)

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Short biography of Frank Goddard

An unrelated architect by the name of Goddard also has a connection with Loughborough, although most of his designs appear in what is now North West Leicestershire.

Frank Goddard was born in Saltley, Birmingham, on 17 December 1878, and baptised on 19 January 1879. His parents were Edmund Goddard and Eliza née Richardson, who had married in 1873, probably in Quorn, which is where Eliza was born. Sadly, Edmund, who was an engine driver, died on 2 February 1880 in Wolverhampton, so at the time the 1881 census was taken, Eliza and her son Frank, aged 2, had moved from the family home at 23 Alum Rock Road, Saltley, and were living at 42 Waring Street, Leicester, where Eliza was a haberdasher.

In April 1882, Eliza remarried, to Samuel Skelham, the wedding taking place in Quorn. Thus, when the census was taken in 1891, Eliza and son, Frank, now aged 12, were living with Samuel and the couple’s daughter, Edith, aged 3, in Hugglescote.

In 1893, and until 1898, Frank Goddard was articled to Loughborough-based architect Willie Thomas Hampton. Having completed his apprenticeship, he stayed on to work as Hampton’s assistant until about 1902. Thus, on the 1901 census returns Frank’s occupation is noted as an assistant architect, and he is living with his mother, stepfather, and half-sister at Quorn Cottage, Park Road, Coalville.

In 1902, Frank Goddard set up his own practice in Coalville, and then took on Thomas Bertram Wain as a partner in 1903. Their offices were at Station Chambers on High Street, Coalville. In 1911, Frank was elected as a licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Meanwhile, in 1907, Frank had married Constance Annie Wheatley Field in Loughborough, and in 1909 their daughter, Margaret was born. In 1911, the family were living at Oxford Villas, Coalville, and Frank’s occupation is listed as architect and surveyor. In 1918, the family were joined by another child, son Frank Reginald.

In 1921, Frank, his wife, and two children were living in a 7-roomed house at 73 Station Road, Coalville, and Frank was an architect and surveyor, working in his own business. Young Frank was still living with his parents in 1939, at 5 Broom Leys, Coalville, when he was aged 21, but he was working at the Westminster Bank on the Bullring Shepshed, a building designed by Loughborough architect Albert Edward King.

Looking at Frank’s social life, it seemed quite busy! He was a superintendent of the Christ Church Sunday School in Coalville for around 23 years, and at one time a chorister and choirmaster there; he was also have been superintendent of the Coalville Scout troop; he helped to organise the Church Lads’ Brigade; he might have been a member of the local YMCA, and was a member of the Coalville Bowling Club, and the Gracedieu Lodge of Freemasons.

Work for the architects Goddard and Wain was quite prolific, and centred around public house alterations to bring them up to standard; clubs and buildings for the local Co-operative Society; church building and alteration; schools, and housing. As already noted, the majority of their work was in Coalville, Ibstock, Battram etc.. Frank stayed with the practice until he retired in 1940, and moved to live at Leigh on Sea, where he and Constance lived at 62 Darlinghurst Grove. It was here that Frank died in June 1956, probate being granted to Constance, and effects amounting to £575 18s. 5d.. Constance continued to live in the house until her own death in September 1981.  

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What follows is a selection of buildings either designed by, or altered by Goddard and Wain

Note: this is a selective, not a comprehensive listing.

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Specifically

*Improvements to the White Horse pub, Whitwick (1904)

*Design for a new pub to replace the Anchor Inn at Swannington, the rebuilding having been suggested by Willie Thomas Hampton (1907)

*Alterations to the Crown and Cushion pub at Whitwick (1908)

*Alterations to Ibstock Baptist church (1908)

*Design of Coalville council School (1909)

*Design of Battram council School (1909)

*Design of Coalville Working Men’s Co-operative Society premises at Swannington (1909)

*Design for Coalville Co-operative Society branch at Bagworth (1910)

*Design of the Wesleyan Reform Sunday School at Ibstock (1911)

*Design of a mines rescue station for Ashby (1912)

*Design of a picture palace for Ashby (1913)

*Design of New Milk Dairy Premises for Ashby (1916)

*Council housing for Coalville (joint architects with McCarthy) (1920)

*Design for houses at Appleby Magna (1932)

*Design for houses at Swannington (1935)

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Basic facts

Architect – Frank Goddard

Parents: Edmund Goddard and Elizabeth née Richardson

Date and place of Birth: 17 December 1878, Saltley, Birmingham

Spouse: Constance Annie Wheatley Field

Children: Margaret (b.1909), Frank Reginald (b.1918)

Death: 1956, Leigh-on-Sea

Places lived: 23 Alum Rock Road, Saltley (1879); 42 Waring Street, Leicester (1881); Hugglescote (1891); Quorn Cottage, Park Road, Coalville (1901); Oxford Villas, Coalville (1911); 73 Station Road, Coalville (1921); 5 Broom Leys, Coalville (1939); 62 Darlinghurst Grove, Leigh-on-Sae (1940 onwards)

Place of work/Offices: Station Chambers, High Street, Coalville

Qualifications:

1911 – Licentiate of RIBA

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I’m taking part in the April A-Z Blogging Challenge!


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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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