Wood, John

Wood, John, 1704–1754, English architect, called Wood of Bath. When he went (1727) to Bath from Yorkshire to begin his career as a road surveyor, the city was at its height as a center of fashion. Wood devised civic layouts on a grand scale. His executed schemes exhibit entire streets and terraces formally arranged in continuous rows, curves, or circles. He designed Queen's Square, North and South Parade, and the Circus. Wood of Bath also designed the mansion of Prior Park, near Bath, his most handsome detached building. His work, by its charm and imagination, set a standard for the architects who later worked at Bath, and it remains an inspiration for modern city planners. His son, John Wood, Jr.,. 1728–81, completed the Circus and also built the Royal Crescent and the Assembly Rooms.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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