BLACKTHORN MANOR PRESERVATION TRUST

Dedicated to the preservation and documentation of Britain's architectural heritage since 1987

Professor Harold Finch, PhD (1911–1989)

Professor Emeritus of Architectural History, Cambridge University

To Miss Margaret Blackthorn,

With sincere appreciation for our enlightening conversations regarding your family's architectural legacy. Your insights into the manor's east wing were particularly valuable, despite your reluctance to discuss certain aspects in detail.

This volume would not have been possible without your cooperation and access to family records. I've honored our agreement regarding specific omissions, focusing solely on architectural elements of academic interest.

I trust you'll find this published work adheres to the boundaries we established.

— Harold Finch, February 3, 1967

Biography

Harold Edward Finch was born in Oxfordshire on 14 April 1911, the son of a parish vicar. He demonstrated an early interest in architecture and history, winning a scholarship to Cambridge where he read History with a specialization in British architectural development.

Following his studies, Finch joined the Cambridge faculty as a lecturer in 1938, though his academic career was interrupted by service during World War II, during which he served in an advisory capacity to the War Office Ministry of Works on heritage preservation matters.

Professor Finch returned to Cambridge in 1946 and spent the following four decades producing acclaimed studies of British architectural history. He was appointed Professor Emeritus in 1976 and continued his research activities until his death in 1989.

The Blackthorn Study

Research Access

Professor Finch first encountered references to Blackthorn Manor in 1958 while researching Victorian country houses for the National Registry of Historic Buildings. The paucity of documentation on such an extensive estate immediately piqued his interest.

The Blackthorn Family Trust granted limited access to the property in 1962, allowing for the first professional architectural assessment since the manor's abandonment. His study concluded in 1965.

I permitted documentation only of architectural elements visible through conventional perception. His instruments detected additional structural components that appear intermittently, particularly during specific astronomical alignments. My attempts to document these phenomena were explicitly prohibited in our agreement. -MB, 1994

The resulting work, The Architectural History of Blackthorn Manor: A Study in Victorian Design, was published by Cambridge University Press in 1967. It remains the definitive scholarly examination of the property.

Note: During his final visit to the property in 1965, Professor Finch reported "phenomena I cannot reconcile with conventional architectural understanding." These observations were omitted from his formal analysis at Margaret Blackthorn's insistence.
Note: Professor Finch's personal research notes from the Blackthorn study are held in the document archive. Some materials remain restricted at the request of the Blackthorn family.

Research at Blackthorn Manor

Finch's study focused primarily on the manor's architectural elements, placing them within the context of Victorian Gothic Revival traditions while acknowledging the property's distinctive departures from established practice.

His access to the property was notably restricted. Portions of the east wing were declared off-limits throughout his research period, a constraint Finch acknowledged in his published disclaimer. His notes from the period suggest growing unease about certain limitations on his investigation.

The relationship between Finch and Margaret Blackthorn appears to have been complex. Correspondence preserved in the archive suggests mutual respect alongside significant disagreements regarding what information should be published. The final manuscript reflects numerous compromises, with certain observations omitted at Margaret's insistence.

Proportional analysis confirms systematic distortion throughout east wing—all vertical measurements precisely 7.13% greater than western counterparts despite apparent symmetry. Effect creates unconscious disorientation in observers. -EW, 2004

Selected Observations from Finch's Notes

While the published study maintains strictly academic language, Finch's personal notes reveal a more uncertain perspective:

"The proportional relationships in the east wing follow mathematical patterns I cannot reconcile with any documented architectural tradition. The effect is subtle but persistent—a sense that the space itself resists coherent perception."

— Field notes, 23 September 1963

Professor Finch's complete unredacted field notes are available to clearance holders. [Request Access]

"Miss Blackthorn became visibly distressed when I inquired about the room marked 'FR' on the original plans. She has forbidden any mention of it in my publication."

— Field notes, 4 May 1964

Final Years

Following publication of the Blackthorn study, Finch continued his academic work, though colleagues noted a marked change in his demeanor. He declined several invitations to revisit the property and reportedly became evasive when questioned about his research there.

Professor Finch died on 3 November 1989 at his home in Cambridge. The cause of death was recorded as heart failure. He was 78 years old.

His personal papers were bequeathed to Cambridge University, with the exception of his Blackthorn research materials, which were donated to this Trust per instructions in his will.

Published Works

Related pages: