Description

FOUNTAIN BUILDINGS


Nos.3 AND 3A and attached railings and vaults
12/06/50

GV II

Health club and offices. c1775, possible by John Wood the Younger, shopfront 1886, by C Wibley, Builder.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, rubble plinth to basement, enclosed by other building to rear, hipped parapeted mansard roof, Welsh slate with very large slates to upper slope to right. Coped party wall to rear with ashlar stack with early clay pots shared with No. 2 Fountain Buildings (qv), ashlar stacks rising from left and right side walls. Building on wedge shaped corner site forming termination to two ranges of Fountain Buildings has angled quasi-bay to narrow end, entrance front to left side.
EXTERIOR: Three storeys, attic and basement. Entrance front three-window range. First floor has to left blind window, to centre and right six/six-sashes all in cyma moulded architraves with friezes and cornices, to centre with pediment, and stone sills, to right lowered and with wrought iron balconette. Second floor has three six/six-sashes in cyma-moulded architraves with stone sills, to centre and right with wrought iron balconettes. Ground floor has to left six-panel door with flush beaded and fielded panels with oval light to upper panels, with one pennant step in stone doorcase with cyma moulded architrave on flat surround with heavy console brackets to projecting moulded cornice. To centre right pair of C19 half glazed shop doors with moulded panels and single pane overlight with one pennant step in plain reveal. To right shopfront continued to two other faces of building has two-light window with timber mullion and depressed arched heads to windows flanked by panelled pilasters with carved consoles to entablature. Basement has C20 window to right. One double and one single dormer with plate glass sashes. Band course over ground floor with incised lettering `FOUNTAIN BUILDINGS¿ dies into shopfront to right, bracketed eaves cornice and coped parapet continuous with No. 4 Fountain Buildings (qv) and to other faces of building. Two narrow faces of building terminating Fountain Buildings each have to first floor six/six-sash in splayed cyma moulded architrave with frieze and cornice and rising from lowered stone sill with wrought iron balconette. To second floor six/six-sash in cyma moulded architrave with stone sill. To ground floor two-light and single light shop windows as to left side. To basement plate glass sash in splayed reveal with stone sill, pennant area steps, basement has total of four doorways to vaults. One double and one single dormer with plate glass sashes, bracketed cornice and coped parapet continued from left side. Right side is three-window range with similar windows, to first floor with lowered sills and one blind, plate glass to ground floor, two openings in high plinth to basement. Band course over ground floor has incised lettering FOUNTAIN BUILDINGS to left, bracketed eaves cornice and coped parapet continuous with other faces of building.
INTERIOR: Inspected by Bath Council 1981. First floor panelled ovolo dados, moulded door panels in the hall.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Attached wrought iron railings and gate with hooped and arrowheads with bottom rail now set on buns on Pennant bases.
HISTORY: This group of double-fronted houses were built by William Philips and others and incorporated an earlier house within their midst.
SOURCES: (Finch G: Shopfront Record, Bath City Council: 199).

Listing NGR: ST7498965234

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26674597

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

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)