Watkins, William – designer of the Guildhall

William Watkins (1834-1936)

WILLIAM Watkins was born in Worcestershire and was articled to architect Henry Day between 1854-59, then moved to Lincoln as assistant to Henry Goddard from 1860-64.

He then opened his own practice in the city and one of his first commissions was design a Guildhall for Grantham.

A century later, the president of RIBA, Grantham-born Maxwell Hutchinson, described the building as ‘a municipal joke’.

No matter, Watkins went on to design many more public buildings in the county.

He went into partnership with his son ‘Willie’ Watkins in 1898, and William retired in 1918 – well into his eighties.

He died aged 102.