Vittoria House

Details

CHELTENHAM

SO9421NE VITTORIA WALK 630-1/18/979 (East side) 12/03/55 Vittoria House

II

Formerly known as: Hygeia House VITTORIA WALK. House, spa and assembly rooms, now offices. c1801-4 for Henry Thompson (as his own dwelling) and originally known as Hygeia House, and with later additions and alterations including later C19 range at right. Ashlar over brick with concealed roof, brick ridge stack and wrought-iron balustrade to rear. PLAN: originally single depth with central full-height bows to front and rear, with surrounding colonnaded loggia on ground floor; interior has stairhall to front and main L-shaped room at rear and left. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 3 bays, with windows arranged 1:3:1, and 2-storey single bay set back to right, with further 2-lower-storey bay set back again. 6/6 sashes throughout all in plain reveals and with sills. Loggia has Doric columns, now infilled to front and with central entrance, double 6-panel doors (the upper panels fielded, the lower panels with circle) with overlight with decorative glazing bars (in oval motif). Left return has tripartite windows to ground and first floors, 6/6 between 2/2 sashes, those to first floor with Doric columns between; Diocletian window to second floor with sashes, all in round-arched recess to full height. Rear: Doric loggia continues to main part. INTERIOR: retains many original features including joinery and plasterwork; inner door has similar overlight with decorative oval glazing; doors, reveals and shutters have lozenge panels, fluted architraves with fleurons and lion masks to corners to windows and doors. Embellished cornices, simpler to first floor. Open-well staircase probably altered mid-C19 but retaining alternate stick and ornate iron balusters, handrail has newel posts and lion-paw foot. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: boot scraper to front step. To rear, between columns a balustrade with embellished rods and circle motif, the enriched lead castings are in C18 style, a simpler version of a balcony that appears in 'Original Designs in Architecture' by William Thomas, 1783. HISTORICAL NOTE: Thompson had in 1801 bought land to the south and east of the Old Well from the de la Beres on which he built Hygeia House for his own occupation. He first dispensed Mineral Waters here in 1804 and the original Montpellier Spa started in this house. The spa and assembly rooms were moved

in 1809 to the site of the present Montpellier Rotunda in Montpellier Walk (qv), moving again by 1813 to the site of the Queen's Hotel, Promenade (qv). Presumably the name of Hygeia House was altered to Vittoria House at about this date (and after 21 June 1813). Thompson died here in 1820 and was succeeded in ownership by Robert Morris. Engraving c1813 shown in Little with symmetrical facade and colonnade to 4 sides. This provides the earliest datable ironwork in the town. A notable surviving building from the first phase of development in the new Spa town. (Chatwin A: Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984: 18; Little B: Cheltenham: London: 1952-: 45; The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 143-144).



Listing NGR: SO9485821903

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

476175

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970), 143-144
Chatwin, A, Cheltenhams Ornamental Ironwork, (1975-1984), 18
Little, B, Cheltenham, (1952), 45

End of official list entry

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