Description

GLOUCESTER

SO8217 SPA ROAD 844-1/15/310 (North side) 25/01/52 Nos.29 AND 31 The Judges' Lodgings and attached front piers, walls and balustrades (Formerly Listed as: SPA ROAD (North side) Judges' Lodgings)

GV II*

Pair of semi-detached houses, now flats and restaurant. Built between 1833 and 1839. By Sir Robert Smirke for John Phillpotts. In 1864 converted to lodgings for Assize Court judges on circuit. Brick, the front faced in ashlar with decorative wrought-iron balconies, slate roofs, brick stacks. Double-depth block, mirror-image block; the entrance to each of the original houses in a recessed bay at either end; on each side a small, single-storey lodge; at rear a long wing to either side. EXTERIOR: three storeys and full basement; tall symmetrical front of four bays, with a slight projection to the two central bays, and flanking recessed bays (1+4+1); the projecting front of the basement storey supports a verandah across the front of the four central bays; the basement and ground floors rusticated, the upper floors of plain ashlar; the outer corners of the central and recessed bays have clasping pilasters rising in stages corresponding to the basement, ground and first floors, and the second floor, with a base moulding at ground-floor level, and intermediate and impost mouldings; otherwise, on the first and second floors the central bays are defined by pairs of shallow, giant pilasters with Ionic capitals; at first-floor level across the four central bays a full-width, cantilevered balcony, supported on shaped brackets, with delicate filigree, wrought-iron standards, balustrade panels, and drop friezes, and with a metal, tent canopy roof; on the first floor of each of the recessed bays a cantilevered balcony with similar wrought-iron details; at second-floor level, between the pilasters, a raised band; the pilasters support a deep, continuous, crowning entablature and blocking course; in the centre above the blocking course a framed stone panel with flanking brackets. On the ground floor of each of the recessed end bays an entrance doorway approached by a flight of stone steps flanked

by decorative wrought-iron balustrades; each doorway in an opening with moulded stone architrave has narrow sidelights and a rectangular, metal fanlight with glazing bars in a decorative pattern, and a fielded six-panel door; in the central bays on the ground floor four sashes with glazing bars (3x4 panes), in openings with rusticated flat-arch heads, give access to the verandah; on the second floor in the central bays, and in each of the recessed end bays, taller sashes with glazing bars (3x5 panes) give access to the balconies; on the third floor in the front and recessed bays sashes with glazing bars (3x4 panes) in openings with projecting sills. The lodge flanking the side of No.29 of ground floor and basement, one-bay wide, with pilasters supporting an entablature and framing a sash with glazing bars (3x4 panes); the lodge flanking the side of No.31 is a lower single storey with similar pilasters and entablature framing a doorway with a moulded stone architrave and C20 door with glazed upper panels; in each of the brick side walls of the recessed end bays a very tall, stair well sash with glazing bars in opening with rubbed brick, semicircular arched head. INTERIOR: not inspected, but entrance halls seen to contain original features and to rear original staircases with swept handrails. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: flanking the stone-paved approaches to both entrances, at each outer corner of the frontage, is a rusticated ashlar pier with offset plinth, and entablature with blocking course, the responding pier for each entry demolished to top of plinth; brick walls link the outer piers to the outer corners of the lodges; similar decorative wrought-iron balustrades link the bases of the inner piers with the corners of the central four-bay block. HISTORY: this house was originally called Somerset House or Villas.





Listing NGR: SO8299617975

External Links

• Wikidata Q17537588

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