Details
656-1/40/1331
QUEEN SQUARE (West side)
No.18
(Formerly Listed as: QUEEN SQUARE (West side) No.14. No.15. Nos 16-18 (consec) (Reference Library). Nos 18A, 19 & 20)
12/06/50
GV
I
Originally a distinct row of three large houses; subsequently united to form the Bath Reference Library; now the premises of the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. 1830, by John Pinch the Younger.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, slate roof.
EXTERIOR: Wide, double depth Greek Revival building in three storeys, attic and basement, nine-bays, central three brought forward and with raised attic, windows all sashes, three dormers each side of central attic with twelve-pane, above twelve-pane at second floor, fifteen-pane to first floor, and twelve-pane to ground floor, except bays one-three, plain. Basement has three sixteen-pane and three twelve-pane, and doors under three landings. Far right wide panelled door under plain transom light in deep reveals, doors previously also to bays three and six, now as windows. Ground floor channelled, with no voussoirs, and channelling stopped to reveals, all under deep platband as base to giant pilasters, with fluted Ionic giant three-quarter columns to central three-bays, all to full entablature with dentil cornice, returned to pilaster ends. First floor windows have inset quarter pilasters carrying frieze with anthemion decoration threaded through full width of front. Above cornice plain square pedestals with low pitched pedimented cappings, formerly with balustrades (see Green, op cit PL XXXVII), now removed, central attic also with similar but higher pedestals. Each end plain returns, with deep ashlar stacks, and brought forward as high parapets to front, also deep stack to right of bay six. Rear, in ashlar block, has windows in plain reveals, with six twelve-pane above four large casements, and two fifteen-pane, dropped to staircase landings, above four deep replacement lights and two staircase windows, with, at lowest level, smaller twelve-pane, and small projecting square extension.
INTERIOR: Not fully inspected; stairs to rear of former No.16 are of a characteristic Regency Greek Revival design executed in cast iron, with palmette decoration. Fine plasterwork to ceiling of first floor front room of No.18 visible from street. Nos. 16-18: a Greek Revival block of three houses designed by John Pinch II in 1830 but now converted into one building. First floor: the ceilings of the front rooms of nos. 16 and 17 frame four paintings of single figures of Pan, Pomona, Ceres and a winged deity painted by Casali (in England 1745 - 67) for Alderman Beckford's Fonthill Splendens and sold by his son William in 1801. They were moved here from Dance's Theatre Royal after it was burnt down. Each house has two front rooms: staircases with good cast iron balustrades survive at nos. 16 and 18: all fireplaces have been removed: an original white Greek Revival statuary marble one with carving was illustrated by Nigel Bartlett in Country Life on 5th March 1987, page 75 No.16 retains an original four-panel door and architrave to the staircase landing. No.17 retains original sashes with slender astragal-and-hollow glazing bars.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Across whole frontage, returned to doorway, cast iron railings on stone curb, with staircase and gateway at each end, two landings also remain leading to former doorways. In yard to rear stable or service building across full width of site, with hipped slate roof carrying hipped lantern.
HISTORY: This part of the square has been utterly transformed. Wood designed a Palladian villa (actually a pair of semi-detached houses) set back some considerable distance from the street, and flanked by the two advanced 'wings' that comprise Nos 14-15 and 18A-20. The arrangement was similar to that on the north side of Cavendish Square in London, and was depicted in c.1780 by Thomas Malton. The opening was filled in 1830, when the present row was inserted into the gap. The Greek Revival elevation is of note in its own right; it is, however, somewhat at variance with Wood's Palladianism. A bronze plaque on No.16 records the residence of Dr Oliver in one of the houses to the rear. John Wood leased the site from Robert Gay from 1728 onwards, and granted underleases in 1729-1731 to a range of developers, and the houses are first recorded as occupied in the rate books in 1734. Wood originally intended to level the sloping site, but this was abandoned on the grounds of cost. Queen Square is of exceptional importance as the first large-scale instance of town planning to arrive at Bath. Wood drew on precedents in contemporary London house-building and, through the courageous and skilful pursuit of his vision, created a monumental ensemble on a fresh sloping site some distance to the west of the former city walls. Each side of the square forms a symmetrical composition, but none of the sides are alike. Queen Square forms the earliest, and lowest, element in the sequence of set-pieces by the Woods which culminates with the Royal Crescent.
SOURCES: Tim Mowl and Brian Earnshaw, 'John Wood. Architect of Obsession' (1988), 65-86; Walter Ison, 'The Georgian Buildings of Bath' (2nd ed. 1980), 115-120, 226-28.
Listing NGR: ST7474164980
