The Office of Works was an organisation responsible for structures and exterior spaces, first established as part of the Englishroyal household[citation needed] in 1378 to oversee the building and maintenance of the royal castles and residences.
This article is missing information about the department's later history. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(January 2025)
Surveyor, Comptroller and Architect
The organisation of the office varied; senior posts included Surveyor of the King's Works (1560–1782) and Comptroller of the King's Works (1423–1782). In 1782 these offices were merged into Surveyor-General and Comptroller.
After the death of the Surveyor-General and Comptroller James Wyatt in 1813, a non-professional Surveyor-General was appointed: Major-General Sir Benjamin Stephenson. He was assisted by three "Attached Architects": Sir John Soane, John Nash and Sir Robert Smirke. This arrangement ended in 1832 with the formation of the Works Department, when architect Henry Hake Seward was appointed Surveyor of Works and Buildings.[5]
Other positions included Surveyor of the King's Private Roads, various roles with responsibility for gardens, and later, Deputy Surveyor.