Background
He was the son of an architect and draughtsman, Joseph Bonomi (1739–1808), who had worked with Robert and James Adam, while his brother Joseph Bonomi the Younger was a noted artist, sculptor and Egyptologist.
He was the son of an architect and draughtsman, Joseph Bonomi (1739–1808), who had worked with Robert and James Adam, while his brother Joseph Bonomi the Younger was a noted artist, sculptor and Egyptologist.
He was also responsible for a number of church buildings (including commissions at Durham Cathedral). Other historic buildings, in Gothic and neo-classical styles, included Durham Castle, Lambton Castle (continuing the work started by his father), Durham Prison, Elvet Hill House (1820), Burn Hall and Eggleston Hall, all in County Durham. In Derbyshire he designed Christ Church King Sterndale near Buxton, built in 1848-1849 for the Pickford family, founders of the Pickfords removals business.
In 1817 Bonomi was contracted to design a mansion, Normanby Hall, in Normanby.
Other works included design of Marton House near Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria (1822), Blagdon Hall (1830) in Stannington near Morpeth, Street Mary"s Church, Sunderland (1830), the church of Street John the Baptist in Leeming, North Yorkshire (1839) and the restoration of Street Nicholas House, Richmond, North Yorkshire. In 1831, Bonomi took on John Loughborough Pearson as an apprentice.
The church of Street John the Evangelist, Nenthead (1845, the highest church in England) was one of their joint projects.