Midcentury Property: What’s Our Type?

Architectural Type - Can you identify this font? Additional images ©The Modern House and Stephen Cole

Can you help us identify the typeface used in the signage for our house, “CAMBRIA”?

As font fiends and typography fans, we’re sorry to say that we’re stumped with this one. Curiously, it very strongly resembles the typeface used for the signage on Grade-II listed Farnley Hey, and we’re very interested to see if there’s any connection – Farnley Hey designed in 1954 by Peter Womersley, and Cambria from the late 1970s (further details on the property’s origins to follow, now being in touch with the original owners and commissioners).

Cast in metal, could the letters have been made by the same foundry? Have any readers spotted any others around too?

We’ve posted the question on eminent typography forums, tweeted the leading font foundries (with suggestions offered) run the letterforms through online font-finder services – which came up with close matches, but nothing spot on.

If you’re a type-sleuthing type, do please have a go at identifying it and post your suggestions as comments below. We’ll endeavour to glean any info we can from the original owners; perhaps info can be obtained from Farnley Hey’s archives too.

Let’s see if we can dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s and nail it… to the letter!