Details
ST JAMES'S SQUARE
656-1/30/1550 (East side)
Nos.23-37 (Consec)
and attached railings
(Formerly Listed as
ST JAMES'S SQUARE
1-45 Consec))
12/06/50
GV I
Fifteen houses. c1790-1793. By John Palmer, No.23 built by William Kingston, No.24 built by Joseph Cave, No.37 built by William Culverwell.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, rubble to some basements, ashlar and render to rear, Welsh slate double pile parapeted roofs [some clay pantile to rear with coped party walls and ashlar stacks, some with early clay pots. Symmetrical composition forming east side of St James's Square, stepping downhill falling to south matching Nos 1-15 St James's Square (qv).
EXTERIOR: Three-bay houses to centre (No.30) and each end (Nos 23 and 37) treated as pavilions and breaking forward slightly with triangular pediment to centre house (No.30). Intermediate houses of three bays uniformly treated except No.33, which has five bays with carriage entrance to St James's Place in two bays to ground floor right, No.34 is small building to rear of No.33 approached via carriage entrance. Nos 35-37 have shallower plan and back onto St James's Place. House to centre three storeys, attic and basement, three-window range. First floor has three plate glass horned sashes in plain reveals with C19 blind boxes and wrought iron balconettes in surround of applied composite order springing from moulded sill band on four fluted console brackets supporting frieze and moulded cornice with triangular pediment over centre window. Second floor has plate glass horned sashes in plain reveals with stone sills, ground floor has two similar windows to right, to left six-panel door with reeded and fielded panels with cast iron wreath knocker, with decorative fanlight in square headed plain reveal, pennant paved crossover flush with pavement with wrought iron footscraper. Basement has two six/six sashes in plain reveals with continuous stone sill, C20 half-glazed door under crossover, stone area steps with wrought iron handrail. Two single dormers with plate glass sashes with moulded architraves. V-jointed rustication to ground floor forming voussoirs over openings with keystones supporting band course over ground floor, frieze, moulded eaves cornice with triangular pediment and coped parapet over. End houses (Nos 23 and 37) similar but lacking crowning pediment, No.23 has C19 two/two sashes and wrought iron balconettes to first floor, plate glass sashes in plain reveals to second floor, two/two sashes and six-panel door with moulded and fielded panels and three-pane overlight in plain reveal. No.37 has 1982 six/six sashes in plain reveals, to first floor with wrought iron balconettes, six-panel door with moulded and fielded panels with single pane overlight. Intermediate houses are similar three storeys, attics and basements, most three-window ranges with plate glass or glazing bar sashes in plain or splayed reveals, with stone sills, double dormers to Nos 23, 24, 28, 29, 31 and 36 with moulded architraves, six-panel doors (to No.26 C19 with two vertical panels) in moulded architraves with flat shouldered surrounds with console brackets supporting moulded cornices, (doorcase to No.36 now gone). Nos 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33 and 37 have stone steps with wrought iron handrails, handrails to Nos 23 and 33 missing, band courses over ground floor, sill bands to first floor, friezes, moulded eaves cornices and coped parapets. Nos 24, 28, 29 and 37 have wrought iron balconettes to first floor, No.22 has three balconettes to first floor left, right and centre. Nos 28 and 29 also have wrought iron balconettes to ground floor. Lead downpipes to Nos 27, 29 and 36. Lead hopperheads to Nos 25, 32 and 33. Wrought-iron lampholders over front doors to Nos 27 and 28. No.34 approached via carriage entrance with timber segmental head with panelled soffit on fluted impost, has c1800 four x eleven pane shop window with single opening pane with four x two pane window at angle, timber sill and frieze and dentil cornice, six-pane door with beaded, fielded and glazed panels in moulded timber architrave to right, small four-pane window in moulded timber architrave at first half landing above door. Building enclosed above ground floor to front and to sides. Rear elevations partially visible, most have glazing bar sashes. No.23 has oriel bow to first and second floors. No.26 has large three storey C19 ashlar extension, many others have small rear extensions, ashlar and render. Nos 35-37 ashlar to rear.
INTERIORS: Past site visits report the survival of the following features, inter alia: No.31: Ground floor retains Neo-classical friezes and chimney-pieces. Doric frieze to hall. Stone stair. Alterations to rear in 1984. No.32: wooden open-string staircase; cornices with Neo-classical friezes; plain marble chimney-pieces. No.33 has cantilevered stone staircase with moulded soffit, mid C19 cast iron balusters, two plate glass sashes with round heads in mid C19 moulded architraves in canted bay to first half landing to stairs, moulded plaster panels to entrance hall, first floor left has C19 marble fireplace with shelf on carved console brackets; double architraves. No.37 has inner door of 1880 with lincrusta vestibule ceiling No.38: ground floor converted to shop use; upper floors retain marble chimney-pieces, Neo-classical cornices, doors. No.40: ground floor retains cornice, inner door to hall with fan-light and painted glass. No.41: basement retains early kitchen fittings. No.45: pilasters between openings of the ground floor triple bow window; reeded chimney-pieces; stairs with slender balusters on pedestals; cornices and doors in C17 style. Ground floor front has same ceiling (was Hawes, Whiston Chemist shop, see 38 St James's Square, 1880-1926), fireplace gone. Minor plaster cornices to hall, ground floor rooms and first floor front. Staircase with turned balusters (replaced) and Tuscan newel posts, mahogany handrail. First floor front has late C18 type fireplace with hob-grate. All shutters survive on front except in basement. Original plain fire surround to second floor front, grate missing. Six-panel doors mostly original, all furniture 1984. Four-panel attic doors. Basement front has limestone and pennant slab floor and original dresser on Tuscan legs.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Attached wrought and cast iron railings and gates, to Nos 23, 30 and 35 cast railings of baluster form with shaped heads, intermediate houses have wrought iron railings with urn heads, on limestone bases, some painted. Overthrow, probably early C19, No.37 has scrollwork decoration.
HISTORY: Developed on land leased by Messrs. Fielder, King, Hewlett and Broom[e] from Sir Peter Rivers Gay, Lord of the Manor of Walcot, on 25 March 1790. The successor to Wood's Queen Square, St James's Square shows a development in town planning theory in that the diagonally set approach roads (St James's Street from south-east, Marlborough Street from south-west, Great Bedford Street from north-east and Park Street from north-west) form part of the overall conception, thus creating a more picturesque urban effect. Compare the contemporary Laura Place and Sydney Place [qqv] for other examples of this tendency. No.35 was the home of Walter Savage Landor 1846-1852 (plaque). He was visited by many notable people of the day including Charles Dickens. Underlease of No.23 granted to William Kingston 25 February 1791 for 96 years from 24 June 1790, underlease of No.24 granted to Joseph Cave 20 December 1790 for 96 years from 24 June 1790, underlease of No.37 granted to William Culverwell 5 October 1791 for 96 years from 4 June 1790 at an annual rent of £4-10/-.
SOURCES: Walter Ison, 'The Georgian Buildings of Bath' (2nd ed. 1980), 173-76; Bath City Archives, 'Abstract of title of Sir J F Rivers ... to property sold 1856': DEED PKT 2379 & MAPS.
Listing NGR: ST7451865618
