Details
GAY STREET
(West side)
Nos.2-17 (Consec) with attached
railings.
12/06/50
GV I
Sixteen terrace houses stepped uphill from No. 2. 1755-1760 (all building leases dated 23rd January 1755), by John Wood the Younger with C19 and C20 alterations.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar with Welsh slate roofs, moulded stacks to left party walls, many with hand-thrown chimney pots.
PLAN: Double depth plans.
EXTERIOR: Three storeys with attics and basements. Two, three and four-window range. Each house originally had coped parapet, stopped cornice, mostly with two dormers, first floor sill band, a ground floor platband and plinth, six/six-pane sash windows, moulded architraves to doors and to windows that also have splayed reveals, cornices to first floor windows, set back doors to the right with eight raised and fielded panels (many now cut down to allow overlights). No. 2 has three-window range. Two dormers with three/six-pane sash windows, splayed reveals and six/six-pane sashes to rest and restored first floor sill band. Left return in Queen's Parade Place has four-window range, windows are blind, wall panelled with recesses, and articulated by quoin and central pilasters. Pediment crowns returned parapet and cornice, frieze in form of blind balustrade with blocking. The elevational treatment might be inspired by Wood, but it was actually undertaken by CE Davis, in an unusually respectful revivalist manner, following demolition of No. 1 to make road to Royal Victoria Park in 1870. (Bath Chronicle 23rd August 1870). No. 3 has three-window range with six/six-pane sash windows to two dormers and basement left (two/two-pane sash to the right), plate glass sashes to main floors, lowered sills to first floor, six-panel door with narrow overlight. Painted ashlar basement. No. 4 has three-window range. Plate glass sash windows in painted reveals, lowered sills and simple balconettes to first floor, six-panel door and overlight, painted ashlar ground floor. No. 5 has three-window range with six/six-pane sash windows, restored first floor sills, seven-panel door glazed to top and painted ashlar to basement. No. 6 has three-window range with six/six pane sash windows to dormers and basement, plate glass sashes with painted reveals to rest, lowered sills to first and ground floors, six-panel door and overlight. No. 7 has three-window range with plate glass sash windows, lowered first floor sills and six-panel door and overlight. No. 8 has been altered; three-window range. two/two-pane sash windows to two dormers, six/six-pane sashes to rest with painted splayed reveals. To second floor triple window with continuous sill, to first floor similar window has an entablature, stepped forward with pediment at centre, supported by Corinthian pilasters rising from plinth with blind balustraded aprons below windows. Ground floor articulated by more substantial Corinthian pilasters rising from plinth to support deeper entablature. Friezes of pilasters and lintels between are ornamented with richly carved festoons. Six-panel door between right hand pilasters has reeded lintel and overlight, to right small circular window. To left lead downpipe. No. 9 has three-window range with three dormers, plate glass sash windows, lowered sills to first and ground floors, balconettes to first floor, door reduced to six-panels with large overlight containing circular central pane flanked by inverted drop-shaped panes. Doorcase has half round Ionic columns on pedestals that support dentil cornice. No. 10 has three-window range with plate glass sash windows, those to first floor have larger lower panes, lowered sills and balconettes. Similar door and doorcase to No. 9 with plain overlight and fluted frieze to entablature. No. 11 has three-window range with plate glass sash windows and six/six-pane sashes to basement, late C19 scrolled balconettes and lowered sills to first floor, six-panel door and overlight. No. 12 has three-window range with plate glass sash windows, lowered sills to first floor and six-panel door and overlight. No. 13 has three-window range with six/six-pane sash windows to dormers and basement, plate glass sashes to main floors and lowered sills to first floor. Doorcase has double stepped forward square Tuscan columns and pediment over five-panel door glazed to top. No. 14 has three-window range with six/six-pane sash windows, first floor sill band has been restored, six-panel door has reeded lintel and overlight. No. 15 has three-window range with six/six-pane sash windows to dormers and basement, plate glass sashes to main floors, lowered first floor sills, reeded lintel to six-panel door with margin paned overlight, and lead downpipe to left. No. 16 has two-window range with plate glass sash windows, architraves have not been splayed, sill band survives. Late C19 four panel door has elaborate wrought iron grilles over the glass, to right of door narrow leaded window. No. 17, right terminal, set back from the rear of No. 1 The Circus to right. Single depth plan with rear left wing. Four-window range. Six/six-pane sash windows with some crown glass, architraves have not been splayed, first floor sills have been slightly lowered, doorcase to left of centre has engaged Ionic columns, entablature with modillion cornice, and mask keystone over semicircular fanlight.
INTERIORS: No. 3 inspected by Bath Council 1983; original stairs with Doric colonnettes, original bay windows. Black/white and gold marble fireplace. Original dresser in basement. No. 5 partially inspected by Bath Council 1981, elliptical beaded arch in central ground floor wall and Victorian white console fireplace, hall has panelled dado and deep central panelled arch. No. 6 by Bath Council 1973 has raised plaster panels above the dado rail. Basement has two chamfered beams , Victorian range and food cupboards with open wooden fretwork ventilation grilles. Fine classical cornice in front room. Plaster panelling continues up the staircase. No. 9 by Bath Council 1972 has a fine wooden dresser in the basement with Doric columns. Black and white marble tiled hall, timber panelling in hall above dado level, plain tiles from dado to floor. Fine ceilings on ground floor, oak board floor in front room. Original features retained throughout. No. 10 by Bath Council 1972 has a Sicilian marble fireplace with panels and keystone, black marble Edwardian fireplace to rear. Fine basement dresser as No. 9. No. 11¿s basement has been converted into a flat. No. 12 inspected by Bath Council 1973 has open wood dogleg stairs, original panelling and mouldings. Timber dado and panelling in front room, original `L¿ shaped hinges on doors. Basement completely modernised. No. 14 inspected by Bath Council 1990 has original wooden dogleg stairs with Doric newel and panelled dado with pilasters opposite the newels. Marble fireplaces on ground floor, simple mouldings but many replaced or removed. Original brass rim lock on 3rd landing door. No. 17 inspected by Bath Council 1979 has original stairs with Doric colonnettes and an enormous wreath at the base. Regency fireplaces and panelled dado.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: Attached spearhead iron railings to each house with gates to basement.
HISTORY: once known as the `carved house', its original lease was with Prince Hoare, the sculptor. Mrs Piozzi friend of Dr Johnson lived there in 1781 (bronze plaque): she moved to Bath in 1781 following death of her first husband Edward Thrale, and stayed until her marriage to Mr. Piozzi in 1784 `to the surprise of nobody but the disgust of all'. Gay Street is named after Robert Gay, a surgeon of Hatton Garden and landowner of this area. Leases were granted a few months after the death of John Wood the Elder, in May 1754. The road forms a steeply rising link between Wood's two principal urban set-pieces. The southern part (now comprising Nos. 31-41 Gay Street) were originally known as Barton Street, and predated the remainder of the street by some 20 years.
SOURCES: (Mowbray Green, `The Eighteenth Century Architecture of Bath (1904), 140-143; (Ison W: The Georgian Buildings of Bath: Bath: 1980: 120, 230; `No. 23 Gay Street' by Sara van Loock and Peter Bushell ).
Listing NGR: ST7477765158
