Somersetshire Buildings

Details

MILSOM STREET (East side) Nos.37-42 (Consec) Somersetshire Buildings (Formerly Listed as: MILSOM STREET (East side) Nos 37 & 38, Nos 39 & 40, Nos 41 & 42 (Somersetshire Buildings)) 14/07/55

GV II*

Elaborate symmetrical terrace of five former houses (but see below, Nos 38 and 39), now in commercial use. 1781-1783. By Thomas Baldwin. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, double pitched slate mansard roofs with moulded stacks, mostly without pots to coped party walls. PLAN: Double depth plans. EXTERIOR: Three storeys with attics, two houses to each side of centre were each three-window front, central house was five-window front. Terminal pavilions and central house step forward and entablature with modillion and dentil cornice and lion masks to frieze, returned at ends of each, also spans intermediate houses. Pavilions have triangular pediments supported by giant order of four fluted Corinthian engaged columns resting on rusticated ground floor, central house has six similar columns. Between pavilions entablature carries balustraded parapet articulated by plain piers and following contour of facade. Three/six-pane sash windows to second floor have continuous moulded sill course interrupted by columns, six/six-pane first floor windows have similar thicker continuous moulded sill course that forms coping to blind balustraded aprons. First floor windows to centre of each house and three windows to bow of house at centre have shouldered moulded architraves with foliate friezes, cornices and friezes decorated with wheat ear festoons and rams' heads. Rusticated ground floor which breaks forward to provide moulded base for grand order, virtually arcade of semicircular arched windows and doors with radial voussoirs and moulded impost band, fanlights and ground floor windows have radial glazing bars. Formerly houses had three/six-pane sash windows to second floor and six/six-pane sashes below. No.37 to left (Barclays Bank) has C20 double doors to right. No.38, set back to left-of-centre (Trustee Savings Bank) has C19 horned two/two-pane sash windows to second floor, plate glass sash windows to first floor and six/six-pane sash flanked by two doors with fanlights. Nos 38 and 39 (National Westminster Bank) occupies centre of group and has panelled aprons to ground floor windows, to left c1840 double three-panel doors with shallow pyramidal panels and studs to frame, with similar panel below fanlight. This was Bath and Somersetshire Bank c1783-1793 when it failed, and Stuckey's Bank from 1859 until taken over by Westminster Bank and later National Westminster Bank. Ceiling of banking hall fine Neo-classical design in Adam manner. House presently two numbers and has at some stage been two properties. How it was divided is unclear, but it seems to have had entrance door on either side of central bow. No.41 to right of centre has three six-pane sash windows to second floor and six/six-pane sashes to first floor all without horns. Ground floor arcade has three C20 gates at entrance to shopping precinct at rear. Ground floor was restored to limestone ashlar from Victorian commercial front in c1990. No.42 (Alliance and Leicester) right hand pavilion, has horned plate glass windows. Ground floor arcade, replaced late C19, has taller and wider arches of red sandstone and granite with bronze ornament to cornice and shields and figures in spandrels. To right stained glass fanlight with leaded panel below and double three-panel oak doors with wrought iron grilles to tops. INTERIORS: Not inspected, except No.41 (1987) Original stone staircase, square balusters and mahogany handrail. Some original architraving survives. No.42 (1983) elegant swagged frieze and architraves, original cornices , Jacobean anaglypta friezes. HISTORY: The terrace was originally named after Thomas Baldwin and was built on site of poor house, land did not become available for building until later than rest of street, which explains failure to continue with standard elevation. The street front was engraved by Malton in 1788, and indication of its status and prominence. Overall the design is a fusion of Wood-inspired Palladianism and more picturesquely conceived Neoclassicism embodying Robert Adam's principle of `movement'. Nos 39 and 40 were listed on 11th August 1972. SOURCES: (Ison W: The Georgian Buildings of Bath: Bath: 1980-: 159 AND 211; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: North Somerset and Bristol: London: 1958 Lees-Milne J and Ford D: Images of Bath: London: 1982-). Finch G: Shopfront Record, Bath City Council: 1992.

Listing NGR: ST7495765045

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

511396

Legacy System:

LBS

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