Abbey Chambers
ABBEY CHAMBERS, KINGSTON PARADE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1394082
- Date first listed:
- 11-Aug-1972
- List Entry Name:
- Abbey Chambers
- Statutory Address:
- ABBEY CHAMBERS, KINGSTON PARADE
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1394082
- Date first listed:
- 11-Aug-1972
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 15-Oct-2010
- List Entry Name:
- Abbey Chambers
- Statutory Address 1:
- ABBEY CHAMBERS, KINGSTON PARADE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- ABBEY CHAMBERS, KINGSTON PARADE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Bath and North East Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 75133 64733
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 09/12/2016
KINGSTON PARADE,
Abbey Chambers
11.08.72
G.V.
II
Houses, now office block. c1762, greatly altered and added to c1875. By Thomas Jelly for the Duke of Kingston's Estate, altered for Isaac Pitman's Fonetik Institute, altered again c1967 by Bath City Council.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar with Welsh slate roofs.
PLAN: L-shaped block in two distinct sections. To right five-bays c1762 house facing Kingston Parade. To left taller block with two-bays facing Kingston Parade, and seven-bays facing Kingston Buildings.
EXTERIOR: Three storeys and attic. c1967 `Georgian' style bow fronts to ground floor, flanking probably c1875 central doorway with panelled door with rectangular light over, and bracketed hood. Platband. First-floor windows have dropped sills, six/nine sashes in plain reveals. Second-floor windows are six/six. Plain parapet (cornice removed), mansard roof with four flat-topped dormers single paired on left, all plain sashes. Truncated end stacks without pots. Blind return wall to York Street. Block to left on site of Nos 6-8 Kingston Buildings, but there does not appear to be any earlier fabric than c1875. Three storeys with full height attic. Kingston Parade elevation has c1967 `Georgian' style shop window as above. Platband. Windows above are all six/six sashes. Cornice at attic level. Kingston Buildings elevation very severe. Platband and cornice are carried round. Central doorway with panelled double doors and swan neck pediment over. Inscription `FONETIK INSTITUTE' (seen in historic illustrations) no longer extant. All windows late C19 plate glass sashes, plain. Plain parapet, roof not visible on front.
INTERIORS: Were completely replanned and modernised by Bath City Council in c1967. The c1762 house was originally part of Church Street and stood opposite the contemporary Kingston Baths, also a Jelly design. When Abbey House was demolished in c1755 the Roman Baths were discovered beneath; and Kingston Baths were demolished in 1887 to open up what is now the Roman East Baths beneath the pavement of the present Kingston Parade. The surviving building was purchased by Isaac Pitman for £600 at the Manvers Estate sale in 1874, and was developed and used as his Fonetik Institute until 1888. Abbey Chambers became the head office of The Bath and Portland Stone Co. 1888-1967; and was the Planning and Environmental Services department of Bath City Council, 1967-1994.
SOURCES: (Orbach J: Card Index of Bath Architects and Streets: 1978-; Colvin H: A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1660-1840: London: 1978-: 457; Holland E: The Kingston Estate within the walled City of Bath: Bath: 1992-; Bath Archaeological Trust/RCHM England: Georgian Bath Historical Map: Southampton: 1989-; The Bath Chronicle: Images of Bath: Derby: 1994-).
Listing NGR: ST7513364733
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 509469
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 05-Jul-2026 at 14:53:31.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.