Queens Circus

Details

CHELTENHAM

SO9422SE MONTPELLIER AVENUE 630-1/13/519 Queen's Circus Nos.1-6 (consecutive) 05/05/72

GV II

Terrace of 5 (now 6) shops with flats over. Numbered right to left, described left to right. c1820-40 with later alterations including mid-late C19 shop front to Nos 2, 4 and 5. C20 ground-floor alterations to shop fronts. Stucco over brick with concealed roof and brick party-wall stacks. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 11 + 1 first-floor windows (3 at left then 2 per house) including window to curved angle of No.1. Stucco detailing includes first-floor band where original; crowning frieze and cornice, ramped upwards from No.2. First floor has 6/6 sashes throughout, second floor has 6/6 sashes to No.1, otherwise 3/3 sashes, those to angle curved on section; all in plain reveals and tooled architraves, those to first-floor, No.1 with feet. Shop fronts: all retain frieze and cornice; No.5 retains Victorian ground-floor shop front: with off-centre left entrance a part-glazed door with pediment breaking into overlight, slender columnar mullions and basket-arched surrounds to windows, dentil frieze and overlights with stained glass, dentil cornice, fascia and further end carved pilasters. No.4: part-glazed door to left and plate-glass windows with panelled aprons. No.2: part-glazed double-doors with overlight and mullion and transom windows with console brackets. Otherwise plate-glass shop fronts and glazed doors of no special interest, entrance to No.1 to angle at right. Return has 3 storeys, 20 first-floor windows. First floor has 3 blind openings then 6/6 tall sashes throughout. Second floor has 2 blind openings, 6/6 sash, blind openings then two 6/6 sashes, otherwise 3/3 sashes throughout; all in plain reveals, the first 8 windows to first and second floors in tooled architraves, those to second floors with sills and feet. Ground floor: 2 blind openings with tooled architraves; pair of entrances, one part-blocked, the other 4-panel double doors with divided overlight, within doorcases with 3/4 engaged Ionic columns surmounted by shared architrave, with continuous frieze and cornice to first 8 openings acting as sill band to first floor. Otherwise 8/8 and 6/6 sashes where original and double 4-panel doors with overlights. 2 shop fronts to right. INTERIOR: not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: No.5 has continuous first-floor window guards.

HISTORICAL NOTE: in his Guide to Cheltenham, written in 1845 but published in 1850, George Rowe wrote of, 'The handsome shops in Montpellier Avenue.' Nos 1-5 are noted in Rowe's Guide as shops of: Mr Abraham, Optician; Messrs Tyrell and Foster, Cooks and Confectioners; Jull and Co, Tea and Grocery Establishment; Mr Pearson, Chemist and Druggist; Mr Hacker, Silk Mercer. Illustrations show only Nos 1 and 2 with tooled architraves and crowning cornices. (Rowe G: Illustrated Cheltenham Guide: Cheltenham: 1850-1969: 11,23; Blake S: 'The Building of the Montpellier Shops': Cheltenham Local History Society Journal: 1984-).



Listing NGR: SO9453821977

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

475003

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Rowe, G, Illustrated Cheltenham Guide 1850-1969, (), 11, 23
Blake, S, Cheltenham Local History Society Journal in The Building of the Montpellier Shops, (1984)

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