Gainsborough Building, Bath Technical College, With Railings

Details

BEAU STREET (South side) Gainsborough Building, Bath Technical College, with railings 12/06/50

GV II

Technical College, formerly the United Hospital. 1823-26 by John Pinch the Elder; enlarged 1860 by Manners and Gill; subsequently adapted for educational use. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, slate roofs. EXTERIOR: The first building is in three high storeys plus attic, with basement on two levels, in four+three+four bays, with sashes in plain reveals. The attic has four pane, but the remainder are twelve pane, with thin glazing bars, and to sill bands at first and second floor; at the ground floor windows have segmental heads with voussoirs forming part of channelling, surmounted by a deep platband. The plain plinth has segmental heads to basement lights. The central three bays are brought forward, with giant unfluted Ionic columns in antis over three segmental arches to deep reveals, the centre with a pair of doors on six steps; the recessed windows each side front narrow areas enclosed by spear head railings. Over all is a full entablature, and the pediment contains a carved City Arms. The attic, which is recessed above the portico, also has a bold cornice. The return to Bilberry Lane is in five bays, with tripartite sash to the centre bay, and all twelve pane sashes, trim returned from the front. The rear also has many sashes, some the original twelve pane, and tripartite to the middle bay, with pediment and pilasters at first floor; trim returns as the front, and the attic runs the full depth and width. To the right of the original building is a large thirteen window extension, slightly set back from the principal front, and with a recessed one bay quadrant in bay four. The windows in this part are mainly four pane sash, with thin architraves, and at first floor with friezes and cornice-hoods. The nine bay front to Hot Bath Street extended in 1860 also has pediments to bays eight to ten, and a heavy portico on channelled piers with cornice and balustrade on vast volutes. Detail is generally as for the main range, but there are alternating rusticated quoins framing the quadrant, and at the right hand end; also the basement lights are all enclosed by spearhead railings on an ashlar curb. The narrow return to Lower Borough Walls also extended in 1860 has a corbelled central stack, with a sash at first floor, four large console brackets, flanked by plain sashes at each level. This frontage is continued with a single storey link block to a two storey house unit on the corner to Bilberry Lane. The former chapel (Browne & Gill, 1897-98, the third on this site) linked to rear of earlier building has five arched Bramantesque two light windows above replacement sashes, and to the left a plain apse with lead roof. There is a deep entablature, and the end gables are coped. The building is set with its axis at right angles to the early building, separated from it by approx. 4m, but with a later link block. INTERIORS: Not inspected. HISTORY: A charitable foundation, the hospital was opened to serve Bath¿s own invalid population in 1747; until 1792 it was known as the Pauper Charity, and thereafter the Bath City Infirmary and Dispensary. The new building was designed in 1823 by Pinch, at a cost of £7,000, and finished in 1826: he took his cue from Wood¿s General Hospital (qv). The site was expanded in the mid-Victorian period, as was the Royal Mineral Water Hospital (qv), by Manners and Gill who designed the attic addition of 1860 which altered the architectural composition considerably. SOURCES: RCHME Report and surveys at National Monument record, ref. 101140: W. Ison, The Georgian Buildings of Bath (1948-), 91; H. Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 (1978), 638.

Listing NGR: ST7496864638

Legacy

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Legacy System number:

509774

Legacy System:

LBS

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