Geograph - photograph every grid square

William Sugden set up an architectural practice in Leek in around 1850 after being involved with the design of stations on the Churnet Valley line. His son, William Larner Sugden joined the practice in 1866, becoming a partner in 1881.
The firm developed a distinctive style, particularly following Larner Sugden's involvement in the Arts and Crafts movement under the influence of William Morris, who spent considerable periods in Leek researching dyes and dyeing for his textiles. The Arts and Crafts style appears particularly in the detailing of buildings from the mid-1870s onwards. The practice's output ranges from the largest of the silk mills (Big Mill) to humble terraced houses.