Numbers 2 to 12 and Attached Railings

Details

CHELTENHAM

SO9421NW LANSDOWN CRESCENT 630-1/17/434 (South side) 12/03/55 Nos.2-12 (Consecutive) and attached area railings (Formerly Listed as: LANSDOWN CRESCENT (South side) Nos.2-47 (Consecutive))

GV II*

Crescent of 11 terraced houses, now houses and flats and attached area railings. c1828, begun by JB Papworth for Pearson Thompson; only No.2 built to his designs; continued 1831-38 as a continuous terrace (of about 18 houses) by architects RW and C Jearrad and completed by c1850. Ashlar over brick with slate roof, ashlar end and party-wall stacks and iron balconies and verandahs. PLAN: convex terrace with side hallways and service ranges to rear. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys on basement with attic, 34 windows (3 per house plus 1 set back to right). Ground floor has horizontal rustication; second-floor sill band; frieze and cornice over second floor; low parapet with copings over 3rd floor. 6/6 sashes throughout, taller to first floor. Basement has 8/8 sashes where original. Entrances: flights of steps to pairs of porches mainly with Doric columns, architrave, frieze, cornice and blocking course; within are 6-panel double doors with overlights (some part-glazed). Entrance to right return in set back range: 6-panel door with fanlight in round-arched surround on Doric pilasters and keystone. Similar arch to left with round-arched sash. Above this a glazed conservatory. Rear has mainly 6/6 and 8/8 sashes. INTERIOR: not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: No.2 has have Carron Company double-heart-and-anthemion motif balconies apparently specified by Papworth; verandahs to Nos 3-12 have bowed sticks with circle motif to frieze. Area railings have X-motif. No.18 has anthemion boot scraper. HISTORICAL NOTE: the present Lansdown Crescent was almost certainly designed by the Jearrads but the overall design derives from Papworth's 1825 'circular plot' of which only Nos 1 and 2 had been built by 1829-30 when Papworth ceased designing for Lansdown and Pearson Thompson sold his interest to the Jearrad brothers. Merrett's Map of 1834 shows 18 houses and building continued until 1850. No.1 (qv) represents

Papworth's design, rebuilt in replica, 1984. Forms a continuous design with Nos 13-47 (consec) Lansdown Crescent (qv). The Crescent forms a convex facade which cannot conveniently be seen from a distance and consequently fails to give a true impression of its simplicity and size. The Lansdown Estate is a notable example of suburban town planning. (The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 141-2; Chatwin A: Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984: 44,69; Sampson A and Blake S: A Cheltenham Companion: Cheltenham: 1993-: 69; Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum: John Papworth, Architect. An exhibition of plans and drawings: Cheltenham: 1978-; Radford S: The Terraced Houses of Cheltenham 1800-1850: 1992-: 74-83; Merrett HS: Plan of the Town of Cheltenham: 1834-).



Listing NGR: SO9414621860

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

474851

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970), 141/142
Chatwin, A, Cheltenhams Ornamental Ironwork, (1975-1984)
Merrett, H S, Plan of the Town of Cheltenham, (1834)
Radford, S, The Terraced Houses of Cheltenham 1880-1850, (1992), 74-83

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.