Background
Project: Cliffhanger, Godalming
Architect: Michael Manser
Structural Engineer: Jack Dawson (father of Clive Dawson, co-founder of Hockley & Dawson)
Cliffhanger, in Godalming, is one of Hockley & Dawson’s most significant early projects. Designed in 1963 by architect Michael Manser and engineered by Jack Dawson, it is a striking example of post-war modernism. The house appears to project weightlessly from the sandstone hillside, supported by bold cantilevered steel beams. This daring design not only defined a new architectural era but also marked a formative chapter in the practice’s history.
Conceived in 1963, Cliffhanger is recognised as a landmark of British modernist design.
Perched dramatically on Frith Hill, the house projects from the sandstone escarpment, its lightweight timber superstructure floating above cantilevered steel beams founded on concrete pads. The radical structural solution gave the building its name and established its reputation as an icon of post-war residential architecture, later noted in the Pevsner Architectural Guide: Surrey.
Although Hockley & Dawson were not involved in the later renovation, our connection to Cliffhanger runs deep. Jack Dawson’s engineering transformed Michael Manser’s visionary concept into a built reality, and in 2022 our team was invited back to assess the structure following decades of vacancy.
Cliffhanger remains one of the most technically ambitious projects in our portfolio, embodying the spirit of innovation that has defined Hockley & Dawson from the beginning. Its legacy is not only architectural but also personal: a project that set the foundations for a practice built on bold design, engineering precision, and enduring collaboration.
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