Edward Doran Webb

Edward Doran Webb, FSA (1864–1931) was a British ecclesiastical architect and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London . This affiliation may be the source of his connection to scholars at the University of Cambridge.  He was a friend of Charles Keyser, also a fellow member of the Society of Antiquaries, who asked him to oversee the work undertaken between 1896 and 1902 on Aldermaston Church –  restoring the roofs and pews in English oak, replastering many of the walls where there were no frescoes, and retiling most of the roofs.

Based in Wiltshire, he worked on several churches including Salisbury, Finchley, Swindon and of course Aldermaston. Webb also designed the Birmingham Oratory. Webb had strong connections to the University of Cambridge and designed a large country stone house for a senior member of St. John’s College, Cambridge in the west of the city before retiring. The limestone house was built in the stately Queen Anne style. Its location and the surrounding fields and cottages on Madingley Road, were proposed as location for a future Cambridge college.