Here's a place you don't see on any ordinary tour of Bath - it is the first proper town house to be built on the 'other side' of the river.
If it were a little closer to the centre, you could say it was on the 'East side' of the river, but because medieval Bath was built in a crook which, if left uninhabited and undrained for a few more thousands of years, would turn into an oxbow lake, the 'other side' here is on a North/South axis.
When this place was built in the 17th century, it was free-standing, but is now sandwiched uncomfortably between a row of later dwellings.
It looks even more uncomfortable, because it has been truncated for Georgeification, as many others on the other, other side were.
Like The Bell Inn (which I believe I may have mentioned here before), those three, upper windows mark the centres of what would have been three gables - the standard design for 17th century town-houses of any importance. That portico would not have been there, either.
I have been inside this house, and the cellars and lower rooms still retain the layout and charm of the original structure. The Georgians put a brave face on everything.
Hello Tom,
ReplyDeleteWe love walking around towns and cities observing the various architectural styles of the buildings. Look up is a favourite phrase of ours since one can miss a great deal is one's focus is always downward.
How intriguing this particular building is. It does look rather hunched between its two taller neighbours and this is a sight one often sees in Budapest. Earlier buildings are in general much lower than their later counterparts and so they sit uneasily together.
We do have a soft spot for the Georgian......period that is.
Yes, it is amazing how many people walk through town looking for loose change in the gutters.
DeleteWhen I replaced the ordinary hanging sign on The Bell, the man who helped me said he had never been aware of it before, despite having walked under it a thousand times in the past.
I too have a soft spot for the Georgians, but if I could choose my birth year, it would be immediately after the Restoration. So much going on.
I forget the name of the astronomer who fell into a ditch and broke his leg when looking up one night, but this put him out of action at the telescope, half way through his calculations to declare a near object a newly discovered planet.
DeleteWhen he recovered, his wife developed an illness and he had to attend to her before she died.
He bumped into a colleague shortly afterwards who expressed his condolences for his sad loss.
"Thank you," he said, "If I hadn't had to look after my wife, it would have been me who discovered that planet."
This looks like such a beautiful place! It's been ages since I've been to the Hudson Valley but my husband and I were just talking about how we wanted to go!
ReplyDeleteapartment-designed
Well it's been ages since I was there too. The last time, I was a guest of His Royal Highness, The King of Bendong, together with his beautiful wife, who I believe may have been the Queen.
DeleteWould those windows originally have had just two panes of glass? The portico looks fine, even if it's not original.
ReplyDeleteI see you've got a dose of Laura bloody Madalene.
DeleteThey would have been four or six in each frame - held in by bad putty and paint over the glass.
DeleteWell, she looks good, and that's all I care about.
It looks like a demolition gang have been in and only half finished the job.
ReplyDeleteLaura arsefucking Madalene had a go at commenting on my Van Gaal post but what she said clearly showed she knows nothing about football so she had to go.
I bet you're glad to have me back.
I'm going to give Laura Madalene a chance, mainly because his avatar photo of his grand-daughter gives me food for thought, and I am hungry for that right now.
DeleteI don't care about the advertising, but I wonder how much he will like me commenting on his grand-daughter?
As far as you go, it is too early for me too express any opinion.
I have always thought of the Georgians as being a bit po faced Tom - but I must say I do like their 'clean-lined' architecture - and there is plenty of it in Bath.
ReplyDeleteNowhere near as po-faced as the Victorian architects, Weave. Our Georgians designed purpose built brothels, but built them very badly. I have demolished both Georgian and Victorian architecture, and the Victorians are much more of a challenge.
DeleteGeorgian version of 'Stoneage 2000' I guess. I wonder if any of those companies still exist?
ReplyDeleteWhat's Stoneage 2000?
DeleteThat monstrous stone cladding that was the scourge of the early 1980's. I watched whole terraces in London disappear under it. A blue example is to be seen on Coronation Street; previously the Duckworth's I believe.
DeleteI would guess the original windows were set in wooden casements, and the white frames abounding here are vinyl replacements. They don't have to be white, which I count as great a sin as the removal of the dormers.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm off to visit Laura Madalene.
They are running (up and down) sashes here - traditionally. We do not allow vinyl!
DeleteIt looks as if it never grew tall enough....
ReplyDeleteIt did, but it was cut down.
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