Description

656-1/30/1404

RIVERS STREET (North side)
No.31

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

12/06/50

GV
II
Terrace house, now shop with flat over. 1770-1775, with C19 shopfront and alterations. Part of the Rivers Street development by John Wood the Younger.

MATERIALS: limestone ashlar to front and rear, rubble to flank wall to rear left, parapeted mansard roof, hipped to right and to rear, artificial slate, with single ashlar stack with early clay pots to left shared with No.30 Rivers Street (qv).

PLAN: wedge-shaped plot located near junction of Rivers Street and Julian Road, narrowing to right; staircase to right.

EXTERIOR: three storeys, attic and basement, three-window front. First floor has nine/six horned sashes to left and centre, similar six/six-sash with timber panel below to right, all in ovolo moulded architraves with friezes and cornices, lowered moulded stone sills to left and centre not clearly visible above projecting shopfront to ground floor. Second floor has three six/six-sashes in ovolo moulded architraves with stone sills. Ground floor has projecting shopfront built out over area in ashlar with two round-headed windows to left with iron bars applied to give effect of glazing bars over plate glass; to right, a six-panel door with moulded and fielded panels with plate glass overlight treated as windows with two pennant steps with cast iron foot-scraper in round headed plain reveal. Openings to basement below windows with simple iron grilles each with two C20 windows behind. Three single dormers with two/two horned sashes.
Shopfront to ground floor has moulded cornice and coped parapet, modillion cornice and coped parapet continuous with Nos 28-30 Rivers Street (qv).

Rear elevation has six/six-sashes to first floor and second floor, C19 sash with border glazing to third floor, blocked window to ground floor, C19 painted street name JULIAN ROAD. Right side above No.31A Rivers Street (qv) has remains of painted sign: OLD RED/HOUSE/RIVERS ST/BRANCH, presumed reference to Red House Bakery, see Nos. 8 and 9 New Bond Street.

INTERIOR: not inspected.

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. The strip of ground on which Nos 12-15 and 48-50 Rivers Street were constructed was probably never acquired by Wood. The sites of Nos. 12-15 were conveyed from the 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. This house and shop was occupied by G. Smith's Circulating Library in 1809.

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

Listing NGR: ST7483965451

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26673757

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

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  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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