Description

CHELTENHAM

SO9422SE PROMENADE 630-1/13/755 (North West side) 12/03/55 Nos.125 AND 127 and attached railings

GV II*

Pair of semi-detached villas, now offices and attached railings. c1834-40, shown as laid out on Merrett's Map of 1834. Architect probably John Forbes. Stucco over brick with concealed roof and iron railings. PLAN: double pile with outer side halls; originally single-storey (now 2-storey) service wings to rear. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys with attic on basement, 8 first-floor windows arranged 1:1:4:1:1. Outer and centre bays break forwards; central breakforward articulated by 6 pilasters through ground and first-floor windows with Composite-type capitals: 2 to centre, between windows and to ends; entablature. 6/6 sashes where original, those to first floor, outer bays in tooled architraves with cornices on console brackets. Basement has blind openings and 6/6 sashes. Attics have sliding 6-pane sashes; windows set behind screen of pillars, panels to ends and pilasters to centre, crowning cornice and blocking course. End entrances: flight of 6 steps (roll-edged where original) to distyle fluted Doric porches with wreaths to frieze; double 4-panel doors and overlights with lozenge glazing bars and margin-lights. Returns have 3 windows: outer blind, central 6/6 sash between paired pilasters. Rear retains 6/6 and 3/3 sashes. INTERIOR: retains original plasterwork; acanthus cornice and ceiling frieze to front room, hall has guilloche motif to ceiling; dogleg staircase with wreathed handrail and alternate ornate and stick balusters. Original joinery includes panelled shutters. Otherwise not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURE: railings to sides of porches probably by Marshalls, the motif derived from LN Cottingham and stick balusters. HISTORICAL NOTE: Forbes acquired the plot for No.129 Promenade (qv) in 1833. He became architect and surveyor to the Pittville Estate in 1835-6. The Promenade was laid out in 1818 as a tree-lined drive to the Sherborne Spa (on the site of the Queen's Hotel (qv)) from the Colonnade on the High Street, in 1826 it was a carriage drive with spacious gravelled walk on each side. Buildings on the NW were the first to be developed. Forms a distinguished group of semi-detached villas with Nos 121 and 123 (qv) and Nos 129 and 131 (qv), which with No.133

(qv) and The Queen's Hotel overlook Imperial Gardens. (The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 139-40,146; Chatwin A: Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984: 29,40; Williams GA: Guide Book to Cheltenham: 1824-: 29; Blake S: 'The Unfortunate Mr Forbes': Cheltenham Local History Society Journal: 1989-: 7-27).



Listing NGR: SO9460122103

External Links

• Wikidata Q17535684

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

• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)