Details
ENTRY HILL DRIVE
(North side)
Entry Hill House
05/08/75
II
Detached Picturesque villa, now in multiple occupation. c1835, by Edward Davis (exhibited R.A. 1828) with late C20 alterations.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, slate roof.
PLAN: Irregular square plan with central staircase, entered south-west and set to sloping site, with lower ground floor exposed to north-west. Complex picturesque composition, with casements, many with margin panes, and some with stopped drips, to chamfered stone mullions and transoms, and buttressed elements differing to each elevation.
EXTERIOR: Two main storeys with lower ground floor and some attic provision. Entrance front has gabled unit to left, with two-light above two-light with transom, casements with margin panes, but replaced in lower part of ground floor window. Shallow angle buttresses, mid offset carried across as string, high plinth with two blocked slits, double mould to cornice, and shouldered gable. To right, on flight of stone steps in open stone balustrades stopped to octagonal piers, plain four centred opening with pair of panelled doors, panels glazed, under two and one-light windows; set back, to right, gabled unit with square central bay to crenellated parapet on oriel with pointed lights above cusped panels on deep ogee bracket, over two-light, offset to right, and steel casements to basement. Return to right has dormer and four cropped stacks, above brought forward centre with small two-light. Ground floor three-light oriel on ogee bracket, some inserted steel casements. Main garden frontage has full three storeys with attic. To left gabled end with tall diagonal buttress carried up as stack, with two-light above wide square four-light oriel with very narrow returns, on moulded bracket, and with high crenellated parapet to moulded cornice with bold florets, below lean-to glazed conservatory covers window and door. To right two-window range with crenellated parapet and corner buttresses, late C20 dormer above two-light at each level, above two paired small arched lights with small-pane casements in lower ground floor. Unit projects forward slightly from gabled end, and continues detail as to front. Return, to left, has crenellated parapet above three two-light at two levels, and three pairs of small arched lights to lower ground level, and gabled projecting wing, corresponding with set back to front, with diagonal buttresses, large square bay, and French doors to basement.
INTERIOR: Staircase hall only inspected. Stone central well stair with arched screens, and blind triple arcade at first landing, under rectangular skylight carried on side `vaults'.
HISTORY: A highly characterful example of Baronial Gothic, adapted from grander country houses for use in a suburban context, as here. One of several romantically conceived villas developed in the late Georgian period on this well wooded site (Granville House qv): Davis showed designs for seventeen houses here at the 1828 Royal Academy, but only five were built. This speculative development, funded by lawyer Richard Else, was laid out off the old Warminster Road. Stylistically advanced, they form an interesting counterpart to Goodridge's work on Bathwick Hill. This was the largest house in the group.
SOURCES: [M. Forsyth, 'Edward Davis' in Bath History VII (1998), 110-11].
Listing NGR: ST7483963178
