Bloomfield Crescent Nos. 1-7 (Consec) Including Gate Piers, Odd Down, Bath and North East Somerset

Description

BLOOMFIELD ROAD
(West side)

Bloomfield Crescent
Nos 1-7 (consec) including Gate Piers
11/08/72
II*

A terrace of seven, formerly eight, houses, built circa 1793 to 1795, to the designs of Charles Harcourt Masters, with C19 and C20 additions and alterations. In the late-C19 Nos. 4 and 5 were merged and renumbered as No.4 with Nos. 6 to 8 was subsequently renumbered as Nos. 5 to 7.

MATERIALS: The principal (north) elevation is constructed from limestone ashlar whilst the rear (south) façade is constructed from stone rubble, rendered in parts, under slate roofs.

PLAN: Each house was originally of a single-depth plan; of three-storeys plus basement to the north elevation and of two-storeys plus basement to the south elevation. No. 1 and No. 7 (formerly No.8) were extended with double-depth three-storey and four-storey additions respectively in the mid-C19 and, in the late-C19, all the houses, with the exception of the left-hand portion of No.4 (formerly No.5), were heighted on the south elevation with the addition of a third storey.

EXTERIOR: The principal elevation of the Crescent, which faces north over a grassed terrace and the city beyond, is asymmetric around a 'central' pedimented house with short returns with splayed sides at either end; that to the east lies immediately to the street. Each house, four of which are to the east of the 'central' house and three to the west, have two windows to each floor, forming a sixteen-bay composition in all. There is a platband separating each floor, a block cornice, blocking course, coped parapet and plain pilasters at each end. To the 'central' pedimented house (No.4), which is set within plain pilasters, there is a pointed niche containing a statue of an unidentified female that is believed to be Euterpe, one of the nine Muses of Apollo. There are large ashlar party-wall stacks to each house with smaller ashlar stacks to the mid-C19 extensions. Although most of the fenestration has been replaced, some retain sixteen-pane sashes with thin plaster linings to the reveals.

The convex rear facade has a series of varied houses, built 'to order' under varying roof structures separated by coped gables. Each house has a single window to each floor with Nos. 1 and 2 containing plain sashes whilst the rest of the Crescent, with the exception of the four-pane sashes to the upper storeys of Nos. 5 and 6 (formerly Nos.6 and 7), containing C20 and early-C21 12- pane sashes. The mid-C19 splayed additions to No.1 and No.7 (formerly No.8) are canted at both corners. That to No.1 abuts No.264 Bloomfield Road and is of four storeys with a platband to the first and second floor levels, a block cornice to the third floor level and a moulded cornice, blocking course and coped parapet. At No.7 (formerly No.8) the addition is of three-storeys over a basement with a plat band at first floor level, a moulded cornice to the second floor level and a moulded cornice, blocking course and coped parapet; the returns have alternating square-edged quoins. To Nos.1 and 2 and No.7 (formerly No.8) there are late-C19 to early C20 two-storey ashlar additions comprising a porch on the ground floor with a water closet above; the porch to No.1 is now covered with a C20 stepped porch bay with panelled pilasters, frieze, cornice and a blocking course raised at the centre. At No. 3 and No.4 (formerly No.5) there are flat-roofed, first- floor water closet additions carried on cast iron columns over doorways containing sweptback panelled doors in raised plat surrounds; the water closet to No.3 now has a late-C20 conservatory on the flat roof. At street level there are basement openings with iron grilles.

INTERIOR: The interiors of Nos.3, 5 and 6 were inspected and shown to retain much original joinery, decorative plasterwork and fireplaces. No.6 also contained a 'copper' clothes-washing kettle.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: To the entrance of Bloomfield Crescent there is a pair of rusticated gate piers, each surmounted by carved beehive finials, whilst enclosing a small courtyard to the rear are stables (not of special interest) and a coach house (not of special interest). Situated to the west of No.7 is a summerhouse (not of special interest) that is believed to have been the Crescent's wash house.

HISTORY: Nos.1-7 Bloomfield Crescent, originally known as Cottage Crescent, is a crescent of seven, originally eight houses, built c.1793-95, to the designs of Charles Harcourt Masters (b.1759). It is the earliest known work of Harcourt Masters, an architect and land surveyor, who, in addition to constructing an accurate scale model of Bath in 1789, was the architect of a number of significant buildings and gardens in the city. These include Sydney Hotel (now the Holbourne Museum (1796-7) and Widcombe Crescent (c.1805), which are both listed at Grade I; and the Grade II listed Sydney Gardens (opened 1795).

Bloomfield Crescent was built in what was then open countryside to the south of the city, on the north-facing slope of Odd Down, with extensive views of the main heart of the city, some distance away. Until the construction of the Royal Crescent in 1767-75, residential development in Bath was initially urban and inward looking, turning its back on the countryside beyond, providing accommodation around the entertainment that was offered in the town. However, by the late-C18 new residential developments began to move away from the public amusements that had characterised town living with the idea that a rural retreat in the hills beyond held a greater attraction. Following the precedent set by the Royal Crescent, Harcourt Masters designed Bloomfield Crescent so that it turned its back to the street with a plain entrance façade with the staircases strategically placed at the rear so that all the principal rooms had picturesque views of the city.

As part of the development of Bloomfield Crescent, the scheme also included the construction of a coach house, stables, gate-piers, communal gardens and walled kitchen gardens. In addition, the residents were provided with their own water supply from a spring and well.

The noted geologist William Smith lived at No. 4 in 1795-98 whilst supervising work on the Somersetshire Coal Canal.

SOURCES: W Ison, The Georgian Buildings of Bath (1948), 43
Michael Forsyth, Pevsner Architectural Guides: Bath (2003), 290-1
R Warner, A Walk through some of the Western Counties of England (1800), 4-6
H Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (1978), 541

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Nos.1 to 7 Bloomfield Crescent is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: it is the earliest known work of Charles Harcourt Masters, regarded as one of the masters of Picturesque design.
* Planning: it is an outstanding suburban development of its day, demonstrating the importance attached to outward prospects.
* Rarity: it exhibits a mixture of urban and rural vernacular forms, a plan form that is now quite rare.
* Historic interest: as the former home of William Smith, known as the 'Father of English Geology' and credited with creating the first nationwide geological map.

Listing NGR: ST7385962902

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