Description

656-1/30/1392

RIVERS STREET (North side)
No.18 and attached railings

(Formerly Listed as: RIVERS STREET (North side) No.16. Nos 17-31 (consec))

12/06/50

GV
II
Terrace house, now flats. 1770-1775, with early C19 and C20 alterations. Part of the Rivers Street development by John Wood the Younger.

MATERIALS: limestone ashlar to front and rear, double pile parapeted roof, mansard to front, Welsh slate to front and rear, covering to flat roof to extension to rear not visible behind parapet, coped party wall to left with two ashlar stacks. House altered and extended in depth backwards in early C19.

EXTERIOR: three storeys, attic and basement, three-window front. First floor has three plate glass horned sashes in splayed ovolo moulded architraves with friezes and cornices, lowered moulded stone sills on cut down console brackets with wrought iron balconettes. Second floor has three six/six-sashes in ovolo moulded architraves with stone sills. Ground floor has, to left, two plate glass horned sashes in splayed reveals with stone sills with wrought iron balconettes. To right, a six-panel door with flush beaded and fielded panels with applied bead in early C19 timber surround with side lights, that to right retaining some coloured glass, with carved console brackets to narrow pilasters, reeded frieze with decorative fanlight over, with one pennant step in round headed splayed reveal with reeded surround with rosettes at springing of arch and head carved in relief to keystone, two steps to pennant paved crossover with pair of cast iron foot-scrapers, one broken. Basement has one six/six-sash in splayed reveal with stone sill, ashlar infilling under crossover with two-light windows, small extension in area to left with unmoulded six-panel door now basement entrance, C20 area steps. Double dormer with plate glass sashes. Band course over ground floor, modillion cornice and coped parapet. Rear elevation (partially visible) has six/six-sashes to second floor rear and left side, further extension to second half-landing off staircase, lead hopperhead at eaves to centre.

INTERIOR: not inspected, noted as having panelled shutters with applied bed with voided corners, early C19 ceiling rose to first floor front.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached wrought iron railings and gate with shaped heads on limestone bases.

HISTORY: Rivers Street was developed by John Wood the Younger on three parcels of land: Nos. 1-11 constructed in conjunction with Catharine Place on ground conveyed on perpetual leasehold from Sir Benet Garrard to Wood and Brock as his trustee 19/20 December 1766. Nos. 16-28 and 36-47 Rivers Street with areas behind Nos. 46 and 47 on ground conveyed from Rivers Estate (owned by Sir Peter Rivers Gay) to Wood 5 March 1768 for 99 years. Nos. 28-35 Rivers Street were constructed in conjunction with Russell Street on ground bought by John Wood and Andrew Sproule as his trustee from Thomas and Daniel Omer 30 December 1768 on perpetual freehold rents. Strip of ground on which Nos 12-15 and 48-50 Rivers Street constructed probably never acquired by Wood. Sites of Nos. 12-15 were conveyed from Rivers Estate to Thomas and James Beale on 30 December 1774 and 16 October 1776 on perpetual freehold rents.

A number of different Bath builders were responsible for implementing Wood's overall design, re Ison.

SOURCES: Building leases and rate books; Walter Ison, The Georgian Buildings of Bath (2nd ed. 1980), 233.

Listing NGR: ST7474565460

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26896250

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.

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  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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