Details
ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA
SP3165SE VICTORIA COLONNADE
1208-1/8/386 (South side)
12/12/83 Nos.1 1A, 2 AND 3
GV II
See under: Nos.2-24 VICTORIA TERRACE.
ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA
SP3165SE VICTORIA TERRACE
1208-1/8/386 (West side)
12/12/83 Nos.2-24 (Even)
GV II
Includes: Nos.1 1A, 2 AND 3 VICTORIA COLONNADE.
Terrace of 12 houses, now shops and flats, with terrace of 3
houses with ballroom, now offices and shops to right return.
1836-1838 with later additions and alterations including
mid-late C20 ground floor shop fronts and attic dormers.
Architect, William Thomas. Pinkish-brown brick with painted
stucco facades and mainly Welsh slate roofs.
PLAN: L-shaped, forming a complete architectural unit.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys with attics, 22 first-floor windows with 1
window to each angle, curved on plan, with 8 first-floor
windows to right return.
Main range: end bays and central 8-window range project, from
first floor are 3 central giant Corinthian pilasters,
otherwise projections have engaged 3/4 Corinthian columns,
continuous architrave, frieze and cornice, with dentils to
projections, blocking course, raised to centre. Above columns
are upright anthemions on plinths.
First floor has mainly 6-pane French windows with divided
overlights and margin-lights, curved on plan to angles, except
Nos 20 & 22 have plate glass; all in plain reveals and with
tooled architraves, friezes and pediments (missing to No.10),
end bays and angles have decorative cornices on acanthus
consoles. Second floor: 6/6 sashes throughout, those to angles
curved on plan, all in plain reveals with tooled architraves
and moulded sills, Nos 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 16, 18 and 20 with
ears. Ground floor has plate-glass shop fronts. Tall stacks
between houses and to ends mainly with cornices.
Partly-concealed attic dormers. Continuous balcony to first
floor has elongated-figure-of-eight motif.
Left return: 3/4 engaged Corinthian column after first window;
first floor, blind window with moulded architrave with
acanthus brackets and decorative cornice, then a tripartite
window, 6/6 between 2/2 sashes and further 6/6 sash; second
floor: two 6/6 sashes in tooled architraves, all in plain
reveals, with tooled architraves, sills, frieze, those to
first floor with cornices. Ground floor, to left a blocked
entrance with 3/4 engaged Doric columns and with frieze.
Right return (Victoria Colonnade): horizontal rustication to
ground floor. Corinthian columns through first and second
floors to right end, to right of left window and to left of
right window. First floor: to left and right (alike), a
tripartite 6-pane French window with 3-pane sidelights and
divided overlight; otherwise six 6-pane French windows with
divided overlights all with margin-lights, all in plain
reveals and tooled architraves with frieze and cornice, that
to right surmounted by acanthus acroteria. Second floor: eight
6/6 sashes in plain reveals with tooled, eared architraves and
with sills. Ground floor: entrances, two 3-panel doors and a
central glazed door, with panelled reveals and overlights,
those to Nos 2 and 3 have hoods on consoles. 5 round-arched
windows of 8-lights with gothic-traceried upper lights; to
right a 2/6 sash and to No.2 are two bow shop windows with
part-glazed shop-fronts; moulded sills throughout. Frieze,
cornice and blocking course with 3 anthemion acroteria. To
ground floor a continuous 14-column Doric colonnade with
triglyphs and metopes to frieze. Balustrade to arcade has
continuous figure-of-eight, Greek key and anthemion motif
railings.
To rear, ballroom has 3 wide tripartite clerestory windows.
West return has 4 original window openings, the outer 2 have
architraves of pilaster strips, frieze and cornice.
INTERIOR: to Victoria Colonnade, No.1 has dogleg staircase
with stick balusters, some boxed in; cornices to first-floor
rooms; 4-panel doors. No.1A, ballroom to rear, through 2
storeys, entrance vestibule with ceiling rose, leads to
ballroom with arcades to each side with continuous moulding to
heads. No.2 has dogleg staircase to full height with stick
balusters and wreathed handrail; to first floor a 6-pane
glazed doorway with margin-lights with architrave and
pediment, cornices and ceiling rose to first floor.
HISTORICAL NOTE: when built, the right-hand section of
Victoria Terrace was occupied by Victoria Baths.
Victoria Colonnade flanks River Leam.
Nos 1, 2 & 3 Victoria Colonnade were listed on 12.12.83.
(Manning JC (Facsimile by Warwickshire County Library 1988):
Glimpses of our Local Past.. Royal Leamington Spa: Royal
Leamington Spa: 1895-; Cave LF: Royal Leamington Spa Its
History and Development: Chichester: 1988-: 16-17).
Listing NGR: SP3192365435
