Royal Crescent Bath, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

ROYAL CRESCENT 656-1/29/1427 Nos.1-30 (Consec)

Formerly Listed as: ROYAL CRESCENT Nos 1-7 (consec). No.8. Nos 9-30 (consec) 12/06/50

GV I

Thirty houses, concave semi-elliptical crescent. 1767-1775 with C20 alterations. By John Wood the Younger.

MATERIALS: Even and finely cut limestone ashlar; double pitched slate mansard roofs (originally stone-tiled) with moulded stacks to coped party walls.

PLAN: Double depth plans, slightly broadening to rear, with sundry projecting additions to rear.

EXTERIOR: A crescent some 500ft (152m.) long and nearly 50ft (15m.) tall, fronted with a procession of 114 engaged giant Ionic columns, each some 20ft (6m.) tall; columns are placed singly between bays apart from the centremost bay, which is flanked with pairs; further pairs to the corners of the end houses. The only other emphasis to the centre is an arched opening to the centre of No.16, at first floor level, and the side windows to the centrally placed door. All houses comprise three storeys with attics and basements, and mostly with three-window fronts: Nos 14-17, to centre, have four-window fronts. Continuous returned balustraded parapet, modillion cornice and frieze supported by giant order of 114 Roman Ionic engaged columns that rise from the plain ground floor plinth with platband. Unadorned rectangular door and window openings; mainly six/six-pane sash windows, many restored in recent years but some still retain Victorian plate glass intrusions; some with balconettes and blind boxes. Dormer windows to attics, generally three per front. Exterior of No.1 to right, now museum: symmetrical five-window south-facing front. Return has paired columns at quoins and wider bay to centre where steps lead up to pedimented Doric doorcase over set back six-panel door and three-pane overlight. Rear, east-facing towards Brock Street, has three blind windows to both upper floors articulated by Ionic pilasters instead of columns, attached to ground floor, No.1A Royal Crescent (qv); chimney stack above enriched with a swag-decorated panel. This is the only house in the Crescent to have had its original sill levels reinstated (in 1969). All windows are six/six sashes. Limestone plaque to Bernard Cayzer (1914-1981) within porch: his endowment made possible the opening of the museum in this house. Exterior of No.2 has fine balconettes to second floor, nine/nine-pane sash windows to first and ground floors, six/six to second floor and basement. C20 double doors with C20 inside with overlight. Now divided into five flats. William Wilberforce stayed in this house in 1798. The house was badly damaged during the 1942 Blitz. Exterior of No.3 has horned plate glass sash windows except to basement, which retains six/six sashes. C20 balconettes to second floor, early C19 six-panel door with reeded panels and lintel, and plain overlight. Now divided into flats (in 1971). Exterior of No.4 has fine early C19 balconettes and sunblind boxes to second floor, six/nine-pane sash windows to first floor, six/six windows to other floors. Similar door to No.3 with three-pane overlight. Divided into flats in 1957. Exterior of No.5 has horned plate glass sash windows except to basement, which retains six/six sash. C19 double doors and bronze plaque to Christopher Anstey, opinion maker and author of "The New Bath Guide", (1770-1805) to left of doors. Sub-divided internally. Exterior of No.6 has six/nine-pane sash windows to first floor, six/six sashes to other floors. C19 double four-panel doors with plain overlight. Exterior of No.7 similar to No.6 with circular central panels to doors and three-pane overlight. Upper part of front shows re-alignment necessitated during original building. Exterior of No.8 has horned plate glass sash windows with louvred shutters, similar doors to Nos 6 and 7 with ornamented central panels and plain overlight. Sub-divided in 1953, re-united in 2000. Exterior of No.9 has balconettes