Description

RIVERS STREET
656-1/30/1408 (South side)
11/08/72 No.34 and attached railings

(Formerly Listed as:
RIVERS STREET (South side)
Nos 32 & 33.
No.34 (Russell House).
No.35 (Rivers House))

GV II

End of terrace corner house, now flats. 1770-1775.
Part of the Rivers Street development by John Wood the Younger.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar to front and right side, rear elevation not visible, parapeted mansard roof, hipped to right, Welsh Slate to front and right side, not visible to rear.
EXTERIOR: House at corner of Rivers Street and Russell Street has main (entrance) elevation facing north to Rivers Street, right side elevation to Russell Street designed to match other Russell Street houses; staircase in porch projection to north front.
North front has three storeys, attic and basement, three-window range, with one window full height projection to centre forming porch and containing staircase. First floor has, to left, a six/six-sash window in enlarged opening with splayed reveal, stone sill and a large wrought iron balconette; to centre, to staircase, a two/two-sash in splayed ovolo moulded architrave with frieze and pediment over with moulded stone sill on console brackets; to right, a six/six-sash in ovolo moulded architrave with frieze and cornice with moulded stone sill on console brackets.
Second floor has, to left, a plate glass horned sash in splayed ovolo moulded architrave with stone sill, to centre two-light casement in ovolo moulded architrave with stone sill to right six/six-sash in similar architrave. Ground floor has to left three grouped two/two-sashes, narrower to sides, in plain reveals with continuous stone sill; to centre a four-panel door with two-pane overlight in tall opening with plain reveal with section of ovolo moulded architrave forming hood; to right, a six/six-sash in plain reveal with stone sill.
Basement has to left two six/six-sashes in splayed reveals with continuous stone sill, C20 door under crossover, six/six-sash in plain reveal with stone sill to right. Two single dormers with six/six-sashes. Band course over ground floor now removed to right; modillion cornice and coped parapet. Right side to Russell Street: to first floor, three two/two horned sashes in ovolo moulded architraves with splayed jambs, friezes, cornices and lowered moulded stone sills on console brackets. Second floor has three plate glass horned sashes in splayed ovolo moulded architraves with stone sills. Ground floor has three plate glass horned sashes in splayed reveals with stone sills.
Basement has three six/six-sashes in plain reveals with stone sills in deep plinth. C20 area steps. One double and one single dormer with six/six-sashes.
Band course over ground floor with incised street name `RUSSELL-STREET¿ to left, modillion cornice and rebuilt coped parapet continued from entrance front. Rear elevation not visible.
INTERIOR: Not inspected.
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. 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.
SOURCES: Building leases and rate books; Walter Ison, `The Georgian Buildings of Bath¿ (2nd ed. 1980), 233.

Listing NGR: ST7485265432

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26673761

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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