Details
GLOUCESTER
SO8217 SPA ROAD
844-1/15/310 (North side)
25/01/52 Nos.29 AND 31
The Judges' Lodgings and attached
front piers, walls and balustrades
(Formerly Listed as:
SPA ROAD
(North side)
Judges' Lodgings)
GV II*
Pair of semi-detached houses, now flats and restaurant. Built
between 1833 and 1839. By Sir Robert Smirke for John
Phillpotts. In 1864 converted to lodgings for Assize Court
judges on circuit. Brick, the front faced in ashlar with
decorative wrought-iron balconies, slate roofs, brick stacks.
Double-depth block, mirror-image block; the entrance to each
of the original houses in a recessed bay at either end; on
each side a small, single-storey lodge; at rear a long wing to
either side.
EXTERIOR: three storeys and full basement; tall symmetrical
front of four bays, with a slight projection to the two
central bays, and flanking recessed bays (1+4+1); the
projecting front of the basement storey supports a verandah
across the front of the four central bays; the basement and
ground floors rusticated, the upper floors of plain ashlar;
the outer corners of the central and recessed bays have
clasping pilasters rising in stages corresponding to the
basement, ground and first floors, and the second floor, with
a base moulding at ground-floor level, and intermediate and
impost mouldings; otherwise, on the first and second floors
the central bays are defined by pairs of shallow, giant
pilasters with Ionic capitals; at first-floor level across the
four central bays a full-width, cantilevered balcony,
supported on shaped brackets, with delicate filigree,
wrought-iron standards, balustrade panels, and drop friezes,
and with a metal, tent canopy roof; on the first floor of each
of the recessed bays a cantilevered balcony with similar
wrought-iron details; at second-floor level, between the
pilasters, a raised band; the pilasters support a deep,
continuous, crowning entablature and blocking course; in the
centre above the blocking course a framed stone panel with
flanking brackets.
On the ground floor of each of the recessed end bays an
entrance doorway approached by a flight of stone steps flanked
by decorative wrought-iron balustrades; each doorway in an
opening with moulded stone architrave has narrow sidelights
and a rectangular, metal fanlight with glazing bars in a
decorative pattern, and a fielded six-panel door; in the
central bays on the ground floor four sashes with glazing bars
(3x4 panes), in openings with rusticated flat-arch heads, give
access to the verandah; on the second floor in the central
bays, and in each of the recessed end bays, taller sashes with
glazing bars (3x5 panes) give access to the balconies; on the
third floor in the front and recessed bays sashes with glazing
bars (3x4 panes) in openings with projecting sills.
The lodge flanking the side of No.29 of ground floor and
basement, one-bay wide, with pilasters supporting an
entablature and framing a sash with glazing bars (3x4 panes);
the lodge flanking the side of No.31 is a lower single storey
with similar pilasters and entablature framing a doorway with
a moulded stone architrave and C20 door with glazed upper
panels; in each of the brick side walls of the recessed end
bays a very tall, stair well sash with glazing bars in opening
with rubbed brick, semicircular arched head.
INTERIOR: not inspected, but entrance halls seen to contain
original features and to rear original staircases with swept
handrails.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: flanking the stone-paved approaches to
both entrances, at each outer corner of the frontage, is a
rusticated ashlar pier with offset plinth, and entablature
with blocking course, the responding pier for each entry
demolished to top of plinth; brick walls link the outer piers
to the outer corners of the lodges; similar decorative
wrought-iron balustrades link the bases of the inner piers
with the corners of the central four-bay block.
HISTORY: this house was originally called Somerset House or
Villas.
Listing NGR: SO8299617975
