Description

RIVERS STREET
656-1/30/1413 (South side)
12/06/50 No.39 and attached railings

(Formerly Listed as:
RIVERS STREET (South side)
Nos.38-47 (Consecutive))

GV II

Terrace house. 1770-1775.
Part of the Rivers Street development by John Wood the Younger.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar to front, rear elevation not visible. Welsh Slate double pile parapeted mansard roof with two ashlar stacks on coped party wall to right.
EXTERIOR: Three storeys, attic and basement, two-window front. First floor has two two/two horned sashes in ovolo moulded architraves with frieze and cornice, lowered moulded stone sill with simple wrought iron balconettes; second floor has two plate glass horned sashes in ovolo moulded architraves with stone sills. Ground floor has, to right, two/two horned sash in plain reveal with stone sill, to left a six-panel door with flush beaded, fielded and glazed panels with C19 cast iron knocker with one Pennant step in pedimented Doric doorcase, three steps to Pennant paved crossover.
Basement has two two/two horned sashes in plain reveals with continuous stone sill, plank door with four-pane overlight in ashlar infilling under crossover, no area steps. Double dormer with plate glass sashes.
Band course over ground floor, modillion cornice and rendered parapet continuous with Nos. 38, 40 and 41 Rivers Street (qv).
Rear elevation not visible.
INTERIOR: Not inspected.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Attached wrought iron railings 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: ST7477165429

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26673766

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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