Who was William Railton?
William Railton, architect, was a student of the Royal Academy Schools from 1823.
Between 1825 and 1827 Railton visited Greece and Egypt, before returning to set up a practice in London from 1832. Railton became architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1838, which meant that he concentrated on the designs of parsonages and some parish churches. These were mostly built in the Early Gothic style and included Copt Oak and Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire (both 1837).
Railton also designed a handful of country houses in the Gothic or Elizabethan styles and included Randalls, Surrey (1830) and Grace-Dieu Manor, Leicestershire (1833-4). His most famous work however, was his design for Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square, London, which was accepted in 1839. Railton died on a visit to Brighton on the 13th October 1877.