A forthcoming architectural exhibition at the Blackwell Arts and Crafts House in Bowness-on-Windermere is being sponsored by 264-year-old building restoration firm William Anelay Ltd as well as the Arts Council of England.

Anelay, a firm with a growing presence in Cumbria having recently restored Stricklandgate House (photo attached) and the Castle Dairy in Kendal, will be supporting an exhibition dedicated to the work of architects Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott and Charles Francis Annesley Voysey.

The exhibition runs from July 22nd through until October 30th and is being officially launched by architect Diane Haigh who, together with William Anelay, was closely involved in the restoration work at the house ten years ago which was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales.

Anelay Managing Director Vernon Carter explained: “It’s fantastic to think we are able to back an exhibition that demonstrates the outstanding work of two such well respected architects synonymous with the Arts and Crafts movement of the late Victorian era at a venue we know very well from work carried out there a decade ago.

“Cumbria boasts so many impressive examples of architecture and the influence of Baillie Scott and Annesley Voysey has made a big impact on a lot of buildings across the UK including the venue at Blackwell,” added Vernon.

Both Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857–1941) and Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865 to 1945) were major players in the Arts and Crafts movement which spanned 50 years up until 1910. The movement was initiated by the works of William Morris and John Ruskin and was a reaction to the parlous state of the decorative arts of the time.

Established in 1747, William Anelay Ltd is one of the oldest companies in the UK and currently operates out of bases in York and Manchester with almost 100 staff and an annual turnover in 2009 of £17 million.

They are one of the UK’s few dedicated building restoration firms and have worked on many prestigious commercial and private residential projects across the British Isles and Europe.

For more information visit www.williamanelay.co.uk and www.blackwell.org.uk.