Numbers 40-54 and Attached Railings

Details

TQ 2981 NE
798-1/99/80

CAMDEN
BEDFORD AVENUE
Nos.33 AND 35

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See under: Nos.40-54 and attached railings BEDFORD SQUARE.



TQ2981NE
798-1/99/80

CAMDEN
BEDFORD SQUARE (South side)
Nos.40-54 (Consecutive) and attached railings
Includes: Nos.33 AND 35 BEDFORD AVENUE.
(Formerly Listed as BEDFORD SQUARE Nos.1-54 (Consecutive))

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Terrace of 15 houses forming the south side of a square. No.54
formed by the return of No.53 to Bloomsbury Street. All built
by W Scott and R Grews; probably designed by Thomas Leverton
or Robert Palmer; for the Bedford Estate. Nos 40-53 form a
symmetrical terrace. Yellow stock brick with evidence on most
of the houses of tuck pointing. Plain stucco band at 1st floor
level. The centre houses, Nos 46 & 47 are stuccoed. Slate
mansard roofs with dormers and tall slab chimney-stacks.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, attics and basements. 3 windows each.
Recessed, round-headed entrances with Coade stone vermiculated
intermittent voussoirs and bands; mask keystones. Enriched
impost bands and cornice-heads to doors. Side lights to
panelled doors, some 2-leaf. Fanlights, mostly radial
patterned. Gauged brick flat arches to recessed sashes, most
with glazing bars. Nos 40-47 & 53 have cast-iron balconies to
1st floor windows. Cornice and parapet, Nos 40 & 53 with
balustraded parapets.
INTERIORS not inspected but noted to contain original stone
stairs with cast and wrought-iron balusters of various scroll
designs, decoration and features; special features as
mentioned:
No.40: 4-window return to Adeline Place, 3 blind. Rear
elevation has a full height canted bay. INTERIOR has fine
plasterwork, ceiling with 5 restored painted panels and
joinery.
No.41: rear elevation with a full height bowed bay. A fine
plaster ceiling.
No.42: a fine plaster ceiling and friezes. Interesting
original staircase in the canted bay at the rear.
No.43: rear elevation has a full height bowed bay. A fine
plaster ceiling.
No.44: rear elevation has a full height canted bay. Good
detailing and a fine plaster ceiling.
Nos 46 & 47: rusticated ground floor; 5 Ionic pilasters rise
through the 1st and 2nd storeys to support a frieze, with
roundels above each pilaster, and pediment with delicate swag
and roundel enrichment on the tympanum. At 2nd floor level a
continuous enriched band running behind the pilasters. Rear
elevations with full height canted bays. INTERIORS have
identical form staircases which terminate with a series of
winders at the head of a straight flight and returns with a
long landing. No.46 with some curved doors; No.47 with 2 fine
plaster ceilings.
No.48: rear elevation with full height canted bay which is
bowed internally. A fine plaster ceiling and good friezes.
No.49: rear elevation with full height canted bay. 2 fine
plaster ceilings.
No.50: rear elevation with full height canted bay which is
bowed internally. 2 fine plaster ceilings.
No.51: rear elevation with full height canted bay which is
bowed internally. 2 fine plaster ceilings. Courtyard retains
original York stone paving.
No.52: rear elevation with full height canted bay. Friezes of
interest but otherwise plain.
No.53: return to Bloomsbury Street forming No.54. 4 blind
windows and entrance with Gibbs surround and sash to right.
Rear elevation with a full height canted bay.
Some houses with original lead rainwater heads and pipes.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached cast-iron railings to areas with
urn or torch flambe finials. Most houses with good
wrought-iron foot scrapers.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the houses in Bedford Square form a very
important and complete example of C18 town planning. Built as
a speculation, it is not clear who designed all the houses.
Leverton was a country house architect and may have been
involved with only the grander houses; he lived at No.13 (qv).
Palmer was the Bedford Estate surveyor and may be responsible
for the vagaries of the square. The majority of the plots
leased by the estate were taken by Robert Grews, a carpenter,
and William Scott, a brickmaker. The following have plaques or
tablets: No.41 was the residence of Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins,
novelist; No.42 of William Butterfield, architect; and No.49
of Ram Mohun Roy, Indian scholar and reformer (LCC / GLC
plaques). Nos 50 & 51 have oval plaques inscribed "St.
G.F.1859" and "St. G.B. 1823", the line that divides the
parishes of St Giles in the Fields and St George, Bloomsbury
running along the party wall.
(Byrne A: Bedford Square, An architectural study: London:
-1990).



Listing NGR: TQ2980381514

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

476705

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Byrne, A, Bedford Square An Architectural Study, (1990)

End of official list entry

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