I think that you will find that the letter attributed to George Gilbert Scott, “architect of St. Pancras station”, alerting the SPAB to what Woodyer was up to at Mells, is from his son George Gilbert Scott Junior. Sir George had died the previous year, which is probably why the writer is in mourning (hence the black-edged paper). Given the public abuse that Morris hurled at Sir George’s work to ancient buildings it would indeed have been surprising if the letter had come from him. Scott Junior’s work was, in the spirit of the SPAB, far kinder to historic buildings.

With thanks & best wishes.

Incidentally, 43 Cloth Fair is a Landmark Trust flat – you can stay there. I know. I have. It was while staying there we discovered Spitalfields and Clerkenwell, as well as going on some marvellous pub crawls – strictly in the interests of research. It even motivated me to write a poem – but I won’t bore you with it.

Cloth Fair is an ancient narrow street in Smithfield next to St Bartholomew’s Church and today there is a blue plaque for John Betjeman at number 43.