Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 09/12/2016

KINGSTON PARADE,
Abbey Chambers

11.08.72

G.V.

II

Houses, now office block. c1762, greatly altered and added to c1875. By Thomas Jelly for the Duke of Kingston's Estate, altered for Isaac Pitman's Fonetik Institute, altered again c1967 by Bath City Council.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar with Welsh slate roofs.
PLAN: L-shaped block in two distinct sections. To right five-bays c1762 house facing Kingston Parade. To left taller block with two-bays facing Kingston Parade, and seven-bays facing Kingston Buildings.

EXTERIOR: Three storeys and attic. c1967 `Georgian' style bow fronts to ground floor, flanking probably c1875 central doorway with panelled door with rectangular light over, and bracketed hood. Platband. First-floor windows have dropped sills, six/nine sashes in plain reveals. Second-floor windows are six/six. Plain parapet (cornice removed), mansard roof with four flat-topped dormers single paired on left, all plain sashes. Truncated end stacks without pots. Blind return wall to York Street. Block to left on site of Nos 6-8 Kingston Buildings, but there does not appear to be any earlier fabric than c1875. Three storeys with full height attic. Kingston Parade elevation has c1967 `Georgian' style shop window as above. Platband. Windows above are all six/six sashes. Cornice at attic level. Kingston Buildings elevation very severe. Platband and cornice are carried round. Central doorway with panelled double doors and swan neck pediment over. Inscription `FONETIK INSTITUTE' (seen in historic illustrations) no longer extant. All windows late C19 plate glass sashes, plain. Plain parapet, roof not visible on front.

INTERIORS: Were completely replanned and modernised by Bath City Council in c1967. The c1762 house was originally part of Church Street and stood opposite the contemporary Kingston Baths, also a Jelly design. When Abbey House was demolished in c1755 the Roman Baths were discovered beneath; and Kingston Baths were demolished in 1887 to open up what is now the Roman East Baths beneath the pavement of the present Kingston Parade. The surviving building was purchased by Isaac Pitman for £600 at the Manvers Estate sale in 1874, and was developed and used as his Fonetik Institute until 1888. Abbey Chambers became the head office of The Bath and Portland Stone Co. 1888-1967; and was the Planning and Environmental Services department of Bath City Council, 1967-1994.

SOURCES: (Orbach J: Card Index of Bath Architects and Streets: 1978-; Colvin H: A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1660-1840: London: 1978-: 457; Holland E: The Kingston Estate within the walled City of Bath: Bath: 1992-; Bath Archaeological Trust/RCHM England: Georgian Bath Historical Map: Southampton: 1989-; The Bath Chronicle: Images of Bath: Derby: 1994-).

Listing NGR: ST7513364733

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26673203

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

• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)