Listing Text

TQ 2882 SE CITY OF WESTMINSTER PARK CRESCENT, Wl
36/23 (east side)
5.2.70 Nos. 1 to 6 (consec,) 8, 10, 12 and 14 (Including
No. 98 Portland Place)
G.V. I
Quadrant of town houses forming eastern half of crescent. 1812 (restored
after war damage) by John Nash and the earliest feature of his Regent's
Park development. Stucco faced; slate roofs. Simple spacious Grecian
detailing distinguished by the unifying sweep of the ground floor
colonnade. 4 storeys (including attic storey) and basement. 3
window-wide fronts, the end houses have very slightly advanced fronts as
terminal pavilions with returns to Marylebone Road and Portland Place
respectively, the latter with colonnade returned as well. The colonnade
of coupled Ionic columns on square plinths uniformly screens the basement
areas and ground floors with balustraded parapet to terrace over dentil
corniced entablature; the channelled ground floor has square headed
recessed doorways (some altered to windows) and recessed glazing bar
sashes. Between the end pavilions the 1st floor glazing bar sashes are
semicircular arched and recessed for 2 orders; square headed recessed
glazing bar sashes to 2nd floor and attic storey. The end pavilion houses
have square headed windows in shallow architraves, with cornices over on
1st floor, and semicircular arched attic storey windows; similar
fenestration to their returns but the ground floor windows to Marylebone
Road also semicircular headed. Cornice and blocking course over 2nd
floor; attic cornice and balustraded parapet over the intervening houses
and shallow block pediments with acroteria to terminal pavilions. Cast
iron spear head area railings in the intercolumniations. Park Crescent is
Nash's sweeping introduction to Regent's Park, via Park Square q.v., from
the axis of Portland Place and is the southern half of the vast projected
circus in his 1811-12 scheme.
John Nash; John Summerson.
History of the King's Works; VI.

Listing NGR: TQ2873882062