Peter John Aldington
OBE. Dip Arch. RIBA. MCSD
Peter Aldington was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1933. He studied at Manchester University School of Architecture, qualifying in 1956. After working for London County Council Architects Department, then for the Timber Research Development Association, Aldington established his own practice in 1963. He quickly gained an international reputation for his three village houses in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, which he built with his wife Margaret between 1964 and 1968, including their own home Turn End.
The practice of Aldington, Craig and Collinge designed many building types, but it perhaps became best known for its houses. Their work gained many awards and was published internationally. All 9 houses completed before Peter retired from the practice have since been listed, two at Grade 2*, more than any other living architect in the UK. In 1986 Peter was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List.
Visitors come to visit Turn End from across the UK, Europe and around the world, some having become architects or landscape designers as a result of studying Peter’s work.
Early Life
Peter Aldington was born 14 April 1933 in Preston, the only son of Edna (nee Entwisle), a piano teacher and housewife and John, a research chemist. Dr. John Aldington played a pioneering role in the development of fluorescent and other modern lighting. He became Managing Director of Siemens Brothers in the UK and subsequently the Vice Chairman of Associated Electrical Industries. From him, Aldington believes he gained his determination to achieve his goal and not to mind what people say about it.
Home life evolved around the Baptist Church and its social network. Although moving away from the church in later life, Aldington recognises that his puritanical and ethical approach to architecture shares much with his strong Baptist background.
Dr. Aldington was a keen gardener, and Peter’s first ambition was to become a gardener. He took charge of the rock gardens at the family’s house in Preston, then later in Kent. He was also a keen woodworker at home and at Preston Grammar School, later saying “I’m to do with making… With hindsight I should have been trained as an artist-craftsman, not as an architect. I’m happiest when making a building I’ve designed. When designing a building, I’m building it on the drawing board”.
More information
Search for recordings of Peter Aldington in the British Library's Architect's Lives.
For more information please read A Turn End Chronology, prepared by Margaret and Peter Aldington for the research for Jane Brown's ‘A Garden & Three Houses’ publication.
See the and more page for further information including audio and video recordings.
