Nos. 3-13 (Consec) and Attached Railings and Overthrows, Lansdown, Bath and North East Somerset

Description

CAVENDISH PLACE

Nos.3-13 (Consec) and
attached railings and
overthrows (Formerly
Listed as: CAVENDISH ROAD
Nos 1-13 (consec)
Cavendish Place)
12/06/50

GV I

Eleven houses. c1810 with C19 and C20 additions. By John Pinch the Elder.

MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar to front now partly painted, ashlar and coursed squared limestone rubble to rear, double pile parapeted roofs with coped gable walls in Welsh slate, artificial slate and pantiles, rear ranges to Nos 10, 11 & 12 extended upwards, ashlar right end stacks on coped party walls with some early clay pots to front and rear ranges.

PLAN: Terrace of ten matching three-bay houses stepping up hill with similar four-bay house (No.3) with curved front forming approach from Park Place.

EXTERIOR: Typical house is four storeys and basement, three-window range. First floor has three six/nine sashes, to left and right in plain reveals, to centre in surround of reeded pilaster strips with carved console brackets supporting frieze with rosette decoration and moulded cornice over, wrought iron balcony on reeded stone base on six brackets. Second floor has three six/six sashes in plain reveals with stone sills, third floor has three similar three/six sashes. Ground floor has two six/six sashes in plain reveals with stone sills to right, eight-panel door with reeded and raised and fielded panels in reeded frame with paterae at corners, sidelights with diamond-pane glazing and decorative fanlight in round headed plain reveal, approached by pennant steps. Basement has two six/six sashes in plain reveals with pennant area steps. Ground floor has channelled rustication forming voussoirs over door and window openings with continuous band course over ramping up to next house, Pompeian scroll frieze over first floor continuous and ramping up to next house, moulded cornice over second floor, continuous and ramping up to next house, moulded eaves cornice and coped parapet continuous and ramping up to next house. No house retains original windows above basement, now have plate glass and glazing bar horned sashes, some casements to first floor, balconies to Nos 3 & 4 rebuilt with iron brackets and timber decks, evidence of former balcony tent roofs to Nos 6, 7, 8 and 9, variously infilled in ashlar beneath front doorsteps. No.3 is similar of four bays with curved front with central feature to first floor doubled, deep fanlight over front door, area steps gone and small Welsh slate ashlar lean to in area. Rear elevations have C19 and C20 sashes. Nos 3, 4 and 5 largely retain early glazing bar sashes, domed semicircular bow to first landing of No.4, full height bow to No.9. Rear of Nos 6, 7, 8 and part of 9 rebuilt.

INTERIOR: Divided into flats. No.3 fourth floor top flat recorded by Bath Preservation Trust 1993. The front room has six-panelled doors and the fireplace has retained its wooden mantle but the hearth and grate have been removed. The ceiling has a moulded cornice with reeded frieze. The rear room has a cast iron grate with reeded cast iron surround, set into a stone frame. Ground floor inspected by Bath Council 1980, Elaborate central ceiling plaster, modern Adam fireplace in front room, modern French windows to garden. No.4 partially inspected: cantilevered stone dog-leg staircase with moulded soffit, cast iron balusters with decorative panels at landings and mahogany grip handrail. Bow at first half landing has triple curved sash three/three, six/six, three/three in surround with diamond fretwork decoration. Back of front door has eight panels with applied moulding with voided corners, screen with fanlight and pair half-glazed doors in reeded surround dividing entrance hall, cornice to outer and inner hall, ceiling rose and arch with key pattern decoration to inner hall. Six-panel doors with applied moulding with voided corners on panels in reeded architraves to ground and first floors, plain six-panel doors in simpler reeded architrave to second floor, C20 door to third floor. The hall has the original dresser without its central shelves. Moulded cornice with rinceau border on ceiling to first floor, reeded cornices to second and third floors. Ground floor front room has a late C19 black and brown veined marble fireplace with no grate, an enriched cornice with diamond-pattern border on ceiling and similar oval ceiling rose (cf. New Sydney Place). Two plate glass sash windows each with a pair of two-panel, two-leaved shutters with applied beaded moulding with voided corners on panels. There are matching panelled soffits and panels below the window. One modern door, the original blocked up, but visible on the hall side. Ground floor rear room has glazing bar sash in original splayed reveal with reeded architrave, shutters similar to front. No. 5 was inspected by Bath Council 1973. It has a fine fanlight over the front door. First floor white and grey marble fireplace with carved brackets. No. 10 was inspected by Bath Council 1978. Fine double six-panel front door, arched fanlight with rosette detail over. The ground floor rooms are intact and the Edwardian painted fireplace has the original colouring of subdued greens and ochres with modern tiles inserted. Very fine ceiling rose. The rear room has grained oak cupboards either side of the fireplace, and matching pilasters. Handsome bell pull in the front room. Basement also intact with original fittings, including the range. No.12 recorded by Bath Preservation Trust in 2002 has a fine ceiling rose in the first floor left hand front room. It comprises a seven banded enclosed pinwheel rosette oak leaves around a two-banded centre. The outer ring comprises of four darts and eighty tongues. The ceiling frieze is highly stylized with alternating intertwined and dovetailed oak leaves and palmettes. The cornice has a berry and leaf garland with acanthus leaves below. The fireplace has a white marble surround with an 1840 addition of a cast iron grate and tiled surround. Two six/nine sash windows with lambs tongue glazing bars. five-panel two-leaved split shutters with panels above and below. A six-panel door with identical architraving to the windows. The other two first floor rooms have an identical cornice but no ceiling rose, with a six-panel door and single window identical to the other room. The rear room facing the garden has a fireplace with a white marble surround and later 1840 cast iron grate and tiled surround.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: All houses have attached wrought iron railings and gates with shaped tops, Nos 3-8 have wrought iron overthrows with scrollwork and urn decoration, No.5 has link-horn attached by front door.

HISTORY: Cavendish Place was the first substantial development on the lower slopes of Lansdown, and was begun in 1808. The west-facing position exploited the fine views overlooking the pastoral common land, and helped to define a hard edge to the city¿s westward expansion. Nos 1 and 2 Cavendish Place are more modest than Nos 2-13 (qv) and as such are transitional elements in Pinch¿s overall design, connecting the extant houses in Park Street and Park Place with the more substantial new development higher up. Pinch employed his trademark quadrant ramps here, carrying the string courses up the rising elevations (cf. Raby Place, Bathwick Hill). Nos. 6,7,8 and 9 were gutted by incendiary bombs in 1942 and dismantled to second floor level (photos in National Monument Record).

SOURCES: The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: North Somerset and Bristol: London: 1958-: 132; Ison W: The Georgian Buildings of Bath: Bath: 1980-: 185.

Listing NGR: ST7440365798

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