John Dower House and attached railings
John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, GL50 3PG
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1104264
- Date first listed:
- 12-Mar-1955
- List Entry Name:
- John Dower House and attached railings
- Statutory Address:
- John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, GL50 3PG
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-10-27
- Reference:
- IOE01/10642/23
- Rights:
- © Ms Ruth Povey. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1104264
- Date first listed:
- 12-Mar-1955
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 26-Nov-1998
- List Entry Name:
- John Dower House and attached railings
- Statutory Address 1:
- John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, GL50 3PG
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, GL50 3PG
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Gloucestershire
- District:
- Cheltenham (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SO 94726 22458
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 25 July 2025 to amend the name and address and description due to change in building use, and reformat the text to current standards
SO9422SE
630-1/13/298
CHELTENHAM
CRESCENT PLACE (west side)
John Dower House and attached railings
(Formerly listed as John Dower House (Countryside Commission) and attached railings,
previously listed as: CRESCENT PLACE (West side) John Dower House (Forestry Commission) and No.2)
(Formerly Listed as: CLARENCE STREET (South side) No.42, Carr's Hotel)
12/03/55
GV
II
Formerly known as: Old Police Station CRESCENT PLACE.
Former hotel, offices (at time of listing) later converted to apartments, and attached railings. c1820-5, shown as laid out on the Post Office Map of 1820; with c1960s extensionto rear. Ashlar over brick, stucco at right, with concealed roof and brick end stacks, with wrought and iron window guards and railings.
PLAN: building in two sections, with main six window range to right, double depth plan with central hallway (to main range), service wings to rear and rear staircase bow to full height.
EXTERIOR: four storeys with basement, eight first floor windows, arranged 2:6. Ashlar detailing includes first, second, and third floor bands; crowning entablature and blocking course. Ground, first and second floors have 6/6 sashes (taller to first floor); second floor has 3/3 sashes. Basement has 6/6 sashes. Main range has central Ionic porch, with coupled columns and entablature with sculptured Royal Coat of Arms above, within are six-fielded-panel double doors with fanlight Twowith batwing and circle glazing bars. Two outer entrances: six-fielded-panel doors with divided overlights. Rear: 6/6 and 8/8 sashes where original, with flat arches of red rubbed brick, some in tooled surrounds.
INTERIOR: the two sections of the building are linked by curved corridors, giving curved rooms at rear. Main range has central lobby with double doors (c1960) in fluted architrave with sidelights and continuous fanlight with batwing and circle glazing bars, fluted architrave has flowers to corners, embellished cornice has acanthus modillions and fleurons between; entrance hall with curved open-well staircase to full height with stick balusters and wreathed handrail, occupyingfull-height bow. Original joinery remains including six-fielded panel doors, with fluted architraves and flowers to corners, and some panelled shutters (now painted in). Original plasterwork includes first floor cornices with dentils to first floor main room and modillion cornice to entrance hall. Range to left has further narrow-open-well staircase with rod and bobbin balusters and wreathed handrail.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: spearhead area railings and to sides of steps incorporate brackets for oil lamps with lyre motif. First floor individual balconies have interlaced-circle motif.
HISTORICAL NOTE: originally Liddell's Boarding House, this was the first structure of any size to be built specifically in Cheltenham for its Spa visitors. In 1827 Adelaide, Duchess of Clarence (later to become Queen Consort to William IV) stayed here during a tour of the country, hence the Royal Coat of Arms (of a type used 1816-37). The building was renamed the Clarence Hotel in her honour. It became the Court House and Police Station in 1859 and remained as such until 1970. The building was renamed by the Countryside Commission when it moved into the premises (1974) in honour of one of the leading pioneers of national parks in England and Wales.
Forms a group with No.2, Crescent Place (qv) and No.42, Clarence Street (qv).
(The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 134; Chatwin A: Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984: 26, 61).
Listing NGR: SO9471122450
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 474580
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970), 134
Chatwin, A, Cheltenhams Ornamental Ironwork, (1975-1984), 26, 61
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 05-Jun-2026 at 11:21:44.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.