Peter Womersley (1923 – 93) was one of Britain’s most celebrated Modernist architects. As well as Farnley Hey, many more of the buildings he designed during the latter half of the 20th century are listed. Womersley studied at the Architectural Association in London before moving to the Scottish borders, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life.

Written comments about Farnley Hey:

“Farnley Hey is Britain’s best-known example of the American ‘contemporary style’, mixing traditional… walls and floors with vast picture windows, and natural wood with fashionable modern materials such as Formica and opaque glass. It is the principal English work by Peter Womersley… Remarkably, most of Womersley’s original fixtures and internal finishes survive.

“…The double-height living room, daringly cantilevered mezzanine gallery

and ‘zoned’ accommodation wings are an early demonstration of the

exciting possibilities of free planning. Fittings include original silk lampshades and special hi-fi units…

“In style, Farnley Hey suggests the influence of Le Corbusier’s Pavilion Suisse, and of Frank Lloyd Wright’s free planning and use of materials, brought to a dramatic site in the Pennines. It also typifies the best of 1950s in its lightness, sense of the picturesque and optimistic stance.” Elain Harwood, English Heritage, 2000

“The house is a striking example of a style of architecture more often associated with California… inside as well as out, it’s been maintained in the same spirit of modernism as when it was built…

“…At the time [it was built], the flat-roofed wood and stone exterior with its floor-to-ceiling picture window proved a radical departure, and the creation of open-plan spaces in favour of distinct rooms meant a new kind of living experience…

“…There’s a tremendous impression of space about the house… It’s the windows that form Farnley Hey’s most striking feature… they allow uninterrupted views over the wooded gardens and Pennine countryside beyond.” Simon Beckett, The Observer, 2004

“Like the foyers of the Royal Festival Hall, Farnley Hey is designed to create a feeling of openness, with large windows overlooking a spectacular view…

“…As one of the earliest of the larger post-war Modernist houses, it was widely illustrated and epitomised the changes in modern domestic architecture after the war.” Alan Powers, Twentieth Century Houses in Britain: From the Archives of Country Life, 2004