This is a survey drawing in pencil, ink, and wash on tracing paper for Nether Hall, Pakenham, Suffolk by Philip Webb. The drawing is undated, but the project was undertaken in 1874. The drawing, not in Webb's hand, shows plans of the ground floor and chamber floor at Nether Hall. The dimensions and scale are indicated, and there is a note in pencil, written by Webb: 'This gives size better than the [illegible] plans." There is an unidentified stamp in the lower right corner.
Webb designed the renovation of Nether Hall for Edward Greene in 1874. Greene was a brewer, MP, and agriculturalist. After purchasing the estate, he commissioned Webb to enlarge the house, adding a large wing for offices, bedrooms, a water tower, and a kitchen courtyard. In 1875, Webb designed an additional building for Greene’s employee, Matthew Witt. The designs for this house are also in the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Philip Speakman Webb (Oxford, 1831-Sussex, 1915) was a prominent British architect who designed numerous buildings throughout Great Britain. Known for his contributions to British vernacular architecture, Webb was also a skilled draughtsman, and designer of tableware, tiles, stained glass, and furniture. He also designed gravestones and memorials for his friends and clients. Webb lent his hand to many collaborative projects and worked closely with his colleagues, namely William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Edward Burne Jones. His precise drawings of animals, particularly birds, frequently adorn tiles, stained glass, textiles, and wallpaper produced by Morris and Co. Webb is best known for designing Morris’ Red House in Bexleyheath, as well as Clouds House, Naworth Castle, and several London town houses. Among his other accomplishments, Webb is attributed with laying the groundwork for the Arts and Crafts and Modern movements, establishing longstanding principles in historic preservation, and creating some of the most influential designs still studied and celebrated today.