Public lecture: The Man Who Built Surrey’s Churches: the architect Henry Woodyer Revealed
St Andrew's Church, Surrey, GU5 0LJ
Saturday 23rd May 2026
The Surrey Churches Preservation Trust (SCPT) is hosting a public lecture on Saturday 23 May 2026 exploring the life and legacy of one of Surrey’s most influential Victorian architects. Members of the public are invited.
From 10.30am to 12 noon at St Andrew’s Church, Grafham, Guildford (GU5 0LJ), architectural historian Robin Stannard will present The Man Who Built Surrey’s Churches: the architect Henry Woodyer Revealed, examining the remarkable career of Henry Woodyer (1816–1896).
Born in Guildford and educated at Eton and Oxford, Woodyer became a leading Gothic Revival architect and follower of Augustus Pugin. Over his lifetime, he designed approximately 300 buildings nationally, including around 60 in Surrey. These included churches, schools, country houses and a hospital. Notable Surrey examples include St Mark’s, Dorking; St Martha’s, Chilworth; St Andrew’s, Grafham; and St Peter’s, Hascombe - widely regarded as one of the finest Victorian country churches in England.
The lecture takes place at St Andrew’s, Grafham near Guildford, which was Woodyer’s own church, ahead of its much needed restoration.
Visitors will learn the personal story behind its creation, see Woodyer’s grave in the churchyard and discover the hidden splendour of its interior decoration. Beneath four layers of white paint lie original wall paintings and stencilling with small uncovered areas offering a tantalising glimpse of what restoration may reveal.
Stuart White of Grafham Church said: “We are delighted to host the SCPT’s visit to St Andrew’s Grafham. It will be an opportunity to see Henry Woodyer’s very own church prior to its much needed restoration, to hear the very personal and touching story of its creation and to see Woodyer’s grave in the churchyard. Its sumptuous wall paintings and stencilling can only be imagined at present, but a tantalising hint of what is to come is already visible.”
Robin Stannard is a Chartered Historic Building Surveyor and Chartered Architectural Technologist specialising in building conservation. He has worked for English Heritage and now works for ADAM Architecture in Winchester. He is currently writing a book on the Arts and Crafts architect Hugh Thackeray Turner for the Victorian Society.
Tickets are £12 in advance (£15 on the door), £8 for SCPT members, £5 for under 25s, or three for £30 in advance.
Surrey Hills Society members £8 per person in advance.
Club/society/u3a rate £8 per person in advance.
Advance booking is highly recommended to secure limited seats via www.ticketsource.co.uk. A small booking fee applies.
Parking and disabled access: anyone disabled can be dropped off by vehicle at the church lych gate. There are a few, not many, spaces in front of Woodyer House next door (former village school) so we encourage all other parking 330 yards away north along the A281 in the Grafham Room car park. Please then walk along the footpath along the A281 to St Andrew’s.
All proceeds from the lecture will support the Surrey Churches Preservation Trust, which has raised over £500,000 for the repair and conservation of Surrey’s churches. The charity is entirely volunteer-run and welcomes new members and volunteers. For more information, visit www.surreychurchespreservationtrust.org
Photo credit: David Hughes.
From 10.30am to 12 noon at St Andrew’s Church, Grafham, Guildford (GU5 0LJ), architectural historian Robin Stannard will present The Man Who Built Surrey’s Churches: the architect Henry Woodyer Revealed, examining the remarkable career of Henry Woodyer (1816–1896).
Born in Guildford and educated at Eton and Oxford, Woodyer became a leading Gothic Revival architect and follower of Augustus Pugin. Over his lifetime, he designed approximately 300 buildings nationally, including around 60 in Surrey. These included churches, schools, country houses and a hospital. Notable Surrey examples include St Mark’s, Dorking; St Martha’s, Chilworth; St Andrew’s, Grafham; and St Peter’s, Hascombe - widely regarded as one of the finest Victorian country churches in England.
The lecture takes place at St Andrew’s, Grafham near Guildford, which was Woodyer’s own church, ahead of its much needed restoration.
Visitors will learn the personal story behind its creation, see Woodyer’s grave in the churchyard and discover the hidden splendour of its interior decoration. Beneath four layers of white paint lie original wall paintings and stencilling with small uncovered areas offering a tantalising glimpse of what restoration may reveal.
Stuart White of Grafham Church said: “We are delighted to host the SCPT’s visit to St Andrew’s Grafham. It will be an opportunity to see Henry Woodyer’s very own church prior to its much needed restoration, to hear the very personal and touching story of its creation and to see Woodyer’s grave in the churchyard. Its sumptuous wall paintings and stencilling can only be imagined at present, but a tantalising hint of what is to come is already visible.”
Robin Stannard is a Chartered Historic Building Surveyor and Chartered Architectural Technologist specialising in building conservation. He has worked for English Heritage and now works for ADAM Architecture in Winchester. He is currently writing a book on the Arts and Crafts architect Hugh Thackeray Turner for the Victorian Society.
Tickets are £12 in advance (£15 on the door), £8 for SCPT members, £5 for under 25s, or three for £30 in advance.
Surrey Hills Society members £8 per person in advance.
Club/society/u3a rate £8 per person in advance.
Advance booking is highly recommended to secure limited seats via www.ticketsource.co.uk. A small booking fee applies.
Parking and disabled access: anyone disabled can be dropped off by vehicle at the church lych gate. There are a few, not many, spaces in front of Woodyer House next door (former village school) so we encourage all other parking 330 yards away north along the A281 in the Grafham Room car park. Please then walk along the footpath along the A281 to St Andrew’s.
All proceeds from the lecture will support the Surrey Churches Preservation Trust, which has raised over £500,000 for the repair and conservation of Surrey’s churches. The charity is entirely volunteer-run and welcomes new members and volunteers. For more information, visit www.surreychurchespreservationtrust.org
Photo credit: David Hughes.
