Born in London and based in Manchester, he was known mainly for his restrained and austere Greek-inspired classicism.

Not much is known about Lane's early life, but he was born and educated in London, was a Quaker[3] and in 1817 began studying at the famous École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

He was a pupil of the French architect Achille Leclère,[4] who made a noted restoration of the Pantheon in 1813.

[5] After Paris, Lane moved to Manchester in 1821, set up practice and was appointed Land Surveyor to the Police Commissioners of Chorlton Row (as was).

[6][7] Much of Lane's work was on civic and governmental buildings, and he was commissioned to design a town hall just off Chapel Street for the Salford local government in 1825.