Description

CHELTENHAM

SO9421NW LANSDOWN CRESCENT
630-1/17/434 (South side)
12/03/55 Nos.2-12 (Consecutive)
and attached area railings
(Formerly Listed as:
LANSDOWN CRESCENT
(South side)
Nos.2-47 (Consecutive))

GV II*

Crescent of 11 terraced houses, now houses and flats and
attached area railings. c1828, begun by JB Papworth for
Pearson Thompson; only No.2 built to his designs; continued
1831-38 as a continuous terrace (of about 18 houses) by
architects RW and C Jearrad and completed by c1850. Ashlar
over brick with slate roof, ashlar end and party-wall stacks
and iron balconies and verandahs.
PLAN: convex terrace with side hallways and service ranges to
rear.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys on basement with attic, 34 windows (3 per
house plus 1 set back to right). Ground floor has horizontal
rustication; second-floor sill band; frieze and cornice over
second floor; low parapet with copings over 3rd floor. 6/6
sashes throughout, taller to first floor. Basement has 8/8
sashes where original. Entrances: flights of steps to pairs of
porches mainly with Doric columns, architrave, frieze, cornice
and blocking course; within are 6-panel double doors with
overlights (some part-glazed). Entrance to right return in set
back range: 6-panel door with fanlight in round-arched
surround on Doric pilasters and keystone. Similar arch to left
with round-arched sash. Above this a glazed conservatory. Rear
has mainly 6/6 and 8/8 sashes.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: No.2 has have Carron Company
double-heart-and-anthemion motif balconies apparently
specified by Papworth; verandahs to Nos 3-12 have bowed sticks
with circle motif to frieze. Area railings have X-motif. No.18
has anthemion boot scraper.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the present Lansdown Crescent was almost
certainly designed by the Jearrads but the overall design
derives from Papworth's 1825 'circular plot' of which only Nos
1 and 2 had been built by 1829-30 when Papworth ceased
designing for Lansdown and Pearson Thompson sold his interest
to the Jearrad brothers. Merrett's Map of 1834 shows 18 houses
and building continued until 1850. No.1 (qv) represents

Papworth's design, rebuilt in replica, 1984.
Forms a continuous design with Nos 13-47 (consec) Lansdown
Crescent (qv). The Crescent forms a convex facade which cannot
conveniently be seen from a distance and consequently fails to
give a true impression of its simplicity and size.
The Lansdown Estate is a notable example of suburban town
planning.
(The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale
and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 141-2; Chatwin A:
Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984:
44,69; Sampson A and Blake S: A Cheltenham Companion:
Cheltenham: 1993-: 69; Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum: John
Papworth, Architect. An exhibition of plans and drawings:
Cheltenham: 1978-; Radford S: The Terraced Houses of
Cheltenham 1800-1850: 1992-: 74-83; Merrett HS: Plan of the
Town of Cheltenham: 1834-).

Listing NGR: SO9414621860

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535474

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)