Townhouses at 2-17 Gay Street Bath, England

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

GAY STREET (West side) Nos.2-17 (Consec) with attached railings. 12/06/50

GV I

Sixteen terrace houses stepped uphill from No. 2. 1755-1760 (all building leases dated 23rd January 1755), by John Wood the Younger with C19 and C20 alterations. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar with Welsh slate roofs, moulded stacks to left party walls, many with hand-thrown chimney pots. PLAN: Double depth plans. EXTERIOR: Three storeys with attics and basements. Two, three and four-window range. Each house originally had coped parapet, stopped cornice, mostly with two dormers, first floor sill band, a ground floor platband and plinth, six/six-pane sash windows, moulded architraves to doors and to windows that also have splayed reveals, cornices to first floor windows, set back doors to the right with eight raised and fielded panels (many now cut down to allow overlights). No. 2 has three-window range. Two dormers with three/six-pane sash windows, splayed reveals and six/six-pane sashes to rest and restored first floor sill band. Left return in Queen's Parade Place has four-window range, windows are blind, wall panelled with recesses, and articulated by quoin and central pilasters. Pediment crowns returned parapet and cornice, frieze in form of blind balustrade with blocking. The elevational treatment might be inspired by Wood, but it was actually undertaken by CE Davis, in an unusually respectful revivalist manner, following demolition of No. 1 to make road to Royal Victoria Park in 1870. (Bath Chronicle 23rd August 1870). No. 3 has three-window range with six/six-pane sash windows to two dormers and basement left (two/two-pane sash to the right), plate glass sashes to main floors, lowered sills to first floor, six-panel door with narrow overlight. Painted ashlar basement. No. 4 has three-window range. Plate glass sash windows in painted reveals, lowered sills and simple balconettes to first floor, six-panel door and overlight, painted ashlar ground floor. No. 5 has three-window range with six/six-pane sash windows, restored first floor sills, seven-panel door glazed to top and painted ashlar to basement. No. 6 has three-window range with six/six pane sash windows to dormers and basement, plate glass sashes with painted reveals to rest, lowered sills to first and ground floors, six-panel door and overlight. No. 7 has three-window range with plate glass sash windows, lowered first floor sills and six-panel door and overlight. No. 8 has been altered; three-window range. two/two-pane sash windows to two dormers, six/six-pane sashes to rest with painted splayed reveals. To second floor triple window with continuous sill, to first floor similar window has an entablature, stepped forward with pediment at centre, supported by Corinthian pilasters rising from plinth with blind balustraded aprons below windows. Ground floor articulated by more substantial Corinthian pilasters rising from plinth to support deeper entablature. Friezes of pilasters and lintels between are ornamented with richly carved festoons. Six-panel door between right hand pilasters has reeded lintel and overlight, to right small circular window. To left lead downpipe. No. 9 has three-window range with three dormers, plate glass sash windows, lowered sills to first and ground floors, balconettes to first floor, door reduced to six-panels with large overlight containing circular central pane flanked by inverted drop-shaped panes. Doorcase has half round Ionic columns on pedestals that support dentil cornice. No. 10 has three-window range with plate glass sash windows, those to first floor have larger lower panes, lowered sills and balconettes. Similar door and doorcase to No. 9 with plain overlight and fluted frieze to entablature. No. 11 has three-window range with plate glass sash windows and six/six-pane sashes to basement, late C19 scrolled balconettes and lowered sills to first floor, six-panel door and overlight. No. 12 has three-window range with plate glass sash