Masonic Hall
MASONIC HALL, 12, OLD ORCHARD STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1396228
- Date first listed:
- 12-Jun-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Masonic Hall
- Statutory Address:
- MASONIC HALL, 12, OLD ORCHARD STREET
Location
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1396228
- Date first listed:
- 12-Jun-1950
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 15-Oct-2010
- List Entry Name:
- Masonic Hall
- Statutory Address 1:
- MASONIC HALL, 12, OLD ORCHARD STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- MASONIC HALL, 12, OLD ORCHARD STREET
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 75194 64621
Details
OLD ORCHARD STREET
No.12 Masonic Hall 12/06/50
GV II
Theatre, later Roman Catholic church and Freemasons' Hall. 1750, altered and extended 1775, altered and reconstructed after bomb damage in WWII. John Hippisley and John Palmer, after a design attributed to y Thomas Jelly. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, rendered and painted to ground floor, roof not visible at front, Welsh slate to rear. EXTERIOR: Three storeys, ten windows in all, but only top floor has ten, arranged two:three:three:two, sashes of late C18 type, six/six, with plain beaded architraves. First floor has two:three:two:two, ground floor has two:two:three. Stone Doric pedimented doorway with double panelled doors to right, doorway post 1866 alteration for Freemasons, additional (stage) door to left, six panels with rectangular light over. Platband at first floor level. Cornice, parapet, partially heightened at stage end. Rear elevation rubble with freestone dressings. Mixture of windows, all small paned sashes, some six/six with arched heads (two), with flat heads (three), hall has eight/eight with cambered heads below, and with arched heads above, tall stair window, six/six/six. INTERIOR: Much altered and mainly rebuilt. The axis of the auditorium lay parallel to the street. HISTORY: This at one time was one of the most important theatres outside London, especially for the period 1790-1805, having gained a Royal licence in 1767 (the first provincial theatre so to do). All the significant actors and actresses of the day, including Garrick, Kemble and Siddons performed here. A print of 1804 depicts the original door arrangement (See Lees-Milne and Ford, below). The closing performance was on 13 July 1805, before the opening of the new Theatre Royal in Beauford Square (12 October The Orchard Street Theatre then became a Roman Catholic Chapel in 1809, and subsequently passed into use as a Freemasons' Hall after the Catholics moved to St. John's in 1866. The present pedimented entrance dates from the Freemasons¿ time. SOURCES: W. Ison, The Georgian Buildings of Bath (1948), 101; J. Lees-Milne and D. Ford, Images of Bath (1982), 717; J. Earl & M. Sell (eds), `The Theatres Trust Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950¿ (2000), 10.
Listing NGR: ST7519464621
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 511631
- 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.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 05-Jun-2026 at 13:17:26.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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