CLEVELAND HOUSE

CLEVELAND HOUSE, SYDNEY ROAD

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1395310
Date first listed:: 12-Jun-1950
List Entry Name:: CLEVELAND HOUSE
Statutory Address:: CLEVELAND HOUSE, SYDNEY ROAD

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1395310
Date first listed:: 12-Jun-1950
Date of most recent amendment:: 15-Oct-2010
List Entry Name:: CLEVELAND HOUSE
Statutory Address 1:: CLEVELAND HOUSE, SYDNEY ROAD

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: CLEVELAND HOUSE, SYDNEY ROAD

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 75886 65221

Details

SYDNEY ROAD 656-1/32/1658 (South side) Cleveland House 12/06/50

GV II*

House, formerly The Kennet and Avon Canal offices, built over tunnel of Kennet and Avon Canal. 1817-20. By John Pinch. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, double pitched hipped slate roof with moulded ridge stacks. PLAN: Double depth plan with C20 single storey, flat roofed addition to right. EXTERIOR: Two storeys to front, three storeys to rear, symmetrical five-window range. Building encircled by blocking course, cornice, frieze, first floor sill band, ground floor platband, and impost band to semicircular recesses to ground floor openings. Three central bays to front step slightly forward with banded rustication to ground floor. Moulded architraves to first floor six/nine-pane sash windows, central window, with pediment on consoles flanked by windows with cornices and friezes. Semicircular arched ground floor windows have radial glazing bars. Twin entrances at either side of the building: six-panel doors with circular panels to centre, beneath cobweb fanlights: that to left retains its integral lamp to centre. Rear has three/three-pane sash windows to second floor, six/six-pane sashes to first floor, that to centre with cornice and similar ground floor windows to front. Blind windows in architraves similar to those at front to returns. INTERIOR: Features include a stone cantilevered staircase with iron rails; a boardroom at first floor level with double-height ceiling rising up to a central dome; barrel-vaulted strong room on ground floor with in-situ safe; large cellar; basement kitchen with dumb waiter rising up to former boardroom, and with refuse shoot running down to canal through hole in the tunnel roof (the legend that this is for passing messages to passing barges is erroneous); extensive survival of joinery and fine plasterwork, and several marble chimney surrounds with reeded surrounds. HISTORY: The Kennet and Avon Canal was opened throughout in 1810. This building was, until 1864, the offices of the Canal company and was originally called Canal House (first recorded use of this name is in 1825). It then passed into residential use until requisitioned for government use in 1939: it housed the Property Services Agency for many years thereafter, and is now offices. This is among the most architecturally refined buildings connected with canals, indicative of the high prestige of the Kennet and Avon enterprise, and is remarkable for its visual, structural and functional relationship with the canal tunnel beneath, as well as for its interior: the arrangement of board rooms, ante-rooms, secure storage areas and twin entrances amounts to a remarkable survival of a purpose-built Georgian office building. The deeds prove Pinch to have been the architect. SOURCES: John Meadows, 'Bathwick Estate and The Kennet and Avon Canal' in 'Beyond Mr Pulteney's Bridge' (Bath Preservation Trust exhib. Cat. 1987), 17; John Russell, 'The Kennet & Avon Canal' (1997), 97-98; Bath Preservation Trust Inventory of Interiors survey notes, 1991; Robert Bennett, `The Last of the Georgian Architects of Bath¿, Bath History IX (2002), 98; Michael Davis, 'Cleveland House' article for 'The Butty', forthcoming (2001).

Listing NGR: ST7588665221

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 510723
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.