Description

PIERREPONT STREET
656-1/41/1259 (West side)

St James's Portico (Formerly Listed as: PIERREPONT STREET (West side) Nos 7-17 (consec) & St James's Portico)
12/06/50

GV II*

Open arcade with accommodation above. c1745. By John Wood the Elder.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar with Welsh slate roof.
PLAN: St James's Portico between Nos 13 & 14 Pierrepont Street (qv), accommodation above portico divided between those two houses. Portico leads to Pierrepont Place, and projects slightly, forming accented centre piece of terrace on west side of street, although not actually in middle of row.
EXTERIOR: Bridge supported by four unfluted Tuscan columns, dividing space into two footways and carriageway. Two storeys and attic above. Three-bays, central one being blind. Windows above are similar to those in street. Sill band to first floor, sash windows with architrave surrounds and cornice heads, plain above, six/six-sashes to No.13, and plain late C19 sashes to No.14. Overall pediment crowned by ashlar stack with pots. Mansard roof, flat topped dormer to each house. Rear elevation of very smooth ashlar as if rebuilt. Two six/six-sashes. Cornice, parapet, two flat topped dormers, two/two-sashes.
INTERIOR: Not inspected.
HISTORY: A part of the uncompleted scheme by John Wood for the Duke of Kingston¿s estate on the former Abbey Orchard, 1740-1748, creating a formal link from North to South Parade, parallel with Duke St, which was to have led out to Wood¿s epic-scaled (and never realised) plan for a `Royal Forum¿ to the south-east of the old city walls. The houses have undergone some alteration but remain an integral part of a major scheme of urban improvement. The ground floor opening bridged over an already-existing through way to Pierrepont Place, which contained at least one house (qv No.1 Pierrepont Place), while maintaining the formal rhythm of the Pierrepont St elevations. An unusual and successful feature, retaining early paving.
SOURCES: Ison W: The Georgian Buildings of Bath: Bath: 1980-: 138 AND 228; Colvin H: A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1660-1840: London: 1978-: 910; Mowl T and Earnshaw B: John Wood Architect of Obsession: Bath: 1988-: 135-147.

Listing NGR: ST7523164654

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17532115

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)