Description

CHELTENHAM

SO9422SE MONTPELLIER AVENUE
630-1/13/519 Queen's Circus Nos.1-6 (consecutive)
05/05/72

GV II

Terrace of 5 (now 6) shops with flats over. Numbered right to
left, described left to right. c1820-40 with later alterations
including mid-late C19 shop front to Nos 2, 4 and 5. C20
ground-floor alterations to shop fronts. Stucco over brick
with concealed roof and brick party-wall stacks.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 11 + 1 first-floor windows (3 at left
then 2 per house) including window to curved angle of No.1.
Stucco detailing includes first-floor band where original;
crowning frieze and cornice, ramped upwards from No.2. First
floor has 6/6 sashes throughout, second floor has 6/6 sashes
to No.1, otherwise 3/3 sashes, those to angle curved on
section; all in plain reveals and tooled architraves, those to
first-floor, No.1 with feet. Shop fronts: all retain frieze
and cornice; No.5 retains Victorian ground-floor shop front:
with off-centre left entrance a part-glazed door with pediment
breaking into overlight, slender columnar mullions and
basket-arched surrounds to windows, dentil frieze and
overlights with stained glass, dentil cornice, fascia and
further end carved pilasters. No.4: part-glazed door to left
and plate-glass windows with panelled aprons. No.2:
part-glazed double-doors with overlight and mullion and
transom windows with console brackets. Otherwise plate-glass
shop fronts and glazed doors of no special interest, entrance
to No.1 to angle at right.
Return has 3 storeys, 20 first-floor windows. First floor has
3 blind openings then 6/6 tall sashes throughout. Second floor
has 2 blind openings, 6/6 sash, blind openings then two 6/6
sashes, otherwise 3/3 sashes throughout; all in plain reveals,
the first 8 windows to first and second floors in tooled
architraves, those to second floors with sills and feet.
Ground floor: 2 blind openings with tooled architraves; pair
of entrances, one part-blocked, the other 4-panel double doors
with divided overlight, within doorcases with 3/4 engaged
Ionic columns surmounted by shared architrave, with continuous
frieze and cornice to first 8 openings acting as sill band to
first floor. Otherwise 8/8 and 6/6 sashes where original and
double 4-panel doors with overlights. 2 shop fronts to right.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: No.5 has continuous first-floor window
guards.

HISTORICAL NOTE: in his Guide to Cheltenham, written in 1845
but published in 1850, George Rowe wrote of, 'The handsome
shops in Montpellier Avenue.' Nos 1-5 are noted in Rowe's
Guide as shops of: Mr Abraham, Optician; Messrs Tyrell and
Foster, Cooks and Confectioners; Jull and Co, Tea and Grocery
Establishment; Mr Pearson, Chemist and Druggist; Mr Hacker,
Silk Mercer. Illustrations show only Nos 1 and 2 with tooled
architraves and crowning cornices.
(Rowe G: Illustrated Cheltenham Guide: Cheltenham: 1850-1969:
11,23; Blake S: 'The Building of the Montpellier Shops':
Cheltenham Local History Society Journal: 1984-).

Listing NGR: SO9453821977

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26397868

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

• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)