Description

UNION STREET
656-1/41/1716 (East side)

Nos.16-19 (Consec)

(Formerly Listed as:
UNION STREET
No.16. Nos 17 & 18)

(Formerly Listed as:
UNION STREET (East side)
Nos.19-22 (Consec))
12/06/50

GV II

Shops with accommodation over. c1806, later C19 (probably c1870) alterations, particularly to windows and to the ground floor entrance to The Corridor in No.18, and C20 additions. Building probably supervised by City Architect John Palmer, but to earlier (c1791) elevational designs by Thomas Baldwin.
MATERIALS: Painted Bath limestone ashlar with Welsh slate roofs, only partly visible from street.
PLAN: Single depth plan, back-to-back with Nos 6-10 Union Passage (qv).
EXTERIOR: Balanced terrace of eleven bays, two:seven:two, with ends set slightly forward, three bays each to Nos 17-19, No.16 has two bays and additional frontage to Northumberland Place (but see below and Nos 20-22 Union Street). Three storeys, attics to Nos 18 and 19. Ground floor shopfronts except that entrance to The Corridor goes through No.18 and carried on two pink granite unfluted Greek Doric columns, alteration probably of 1870 when entrance to The Corridor altered on High Street in similar fashion, previously no way through. Shopfronts are late C20, Nos 16 and 17 have Regency/Victorian reproduction ones, except No.18 late C19. Design of first floor is irregular, to compensate for falling ground and in order to create a level base for the entablature and attic above. The second floor thus sits level on sill band, with a level cornice above. Giant Corinthian 1/4 pilasters frame sets forward. First floor has two bays (No.16): three bays (No.17): six bays (Nos 18 and 19) at different levels. All windows late C19 two/two plate glass sashes, with plain reveals except four, six and eight have architraves and cornice heads. Windows ten and eleven have recessed panels above, again to compensate for falling ground. Second-floor windows are six/six sashes (Nos 16 and 18), plain (No.17) with centre one blind, and two/two (No.19). Band, cornice, parapet, roof not visible (Nos 16 and 17), mansards (Nos 18 and 19), two flat topped dormers to each, six/six sashes, ashlar stacks with some pots. Northumberland Place elevation (No.16) two:one bays, canted corner to right, plain sashes to first floor, six/six above, centre one blind to second floor. Corner framed by quarter Corinthian pilasters in antis. Two bays of reproduction Regency/Victorian shopfront as above (Next).
INTERIORS: Not inspected.
HISTORY: Despite appearances (see above), these four premises are the left hand end of a formerly balanced terrace of thirty-one bays stretching between Northumberland Place and Cheap Street, of which the right hand eight bays have been redeveloped in the C20. The full design is now difficult to read because of these alterations, and because of the way it is stepped down the hill, giving an uneven appearance. Undertaken as a part of the scheme of improvement for the City centre following the Bath Improvement Act of 1789. Union Street was formed in 1806 to join Stall Street to the Upper Town. No.16 was listed on 11th August 1972 and No.19 on 5th August 1975.
SOURCES: Lees-Milne J and Ford D, 'Images of Bath' (1982), 879.

Listing NGR: ST7501664852

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26674422

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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