Bishops House

Bishop's House

A detached house on Lansdowne Crescent, Worcester, built between 1835 and 1845 with later additions and alterations. The building is constructed of painted stucco over brick with a hipped slate roof. Brick stacks feature oversailing detail with pots to ridge and end walls. A cast-iron balcony balustrade and wrought-iron area grille are present.

The house is arranged in a U-shaped plan with a principal west-facing range and further ranges to each end extending to the rear. It comprises two storeys above a basement.

The principal west elevation displays seven first-floor windows (arranged 3:1:3). Stucco detailing includes a simple plinth and eaves band, pilasters to the ends and to a slightly recessed central bay, and a radial fluted shell motif to the tympana of ground-floor windows. A Greek Doric-style porch with fluted columns on simple pedestals sits centrally. The windows are all 6/6 sashes in plain reveals with sills, except that above the porch which is a margin-glazed French window with overlight. An ornamental scrolled-heart and anthemion design balustrade to the porch roof forms a balcony. The French window and the windows to either side have external blind-boxes. Six steps (four with roll-edged stone) lead to the entrance, which has a five-panel door with the top pair and centre panels raised, fielded and moulded, and the bottom pair flush triple-beaded. The fanlight has two radial glazing bars and margin-glazing. Six basement windows are present: one brick-blocked, three 3/3 sashes to the left, and four-pane casements with mullions to the right, all in plain reveals under cambered heads with sills. An ornamental grille is present to the far right area only.

The north elevation is painted brick with a simple plinth and eaves band continuing from the west elevation. Five first-floor windows (arranged 3:2) are in plain reveals with cambered heads; the right window is brick-blocked apart from a small four-pane casement, otherwise all are 6/6 sashes with only two retaining projecting sills. Ground-floor windows are under semi-circular arched heads with plain stucco tympana; all are 6/6 in plain reveals with sills.

The south elevation is painted lined stucco with plinth and eaves band. Five first-floor windows (arranged 2:3) are in plain reveals with sills. Ground-floor windows are 6/6 except the centre, which is a two-pane French window with overlight; all are under semi-circular arched heads with plain tympana and reveals.

The rear elevations are red brick with fenestration including 6/6 sashes, those to the ground-floor having tympana as on the principal elevations. A staircase window with 10/6 panes and radial pattern glazing to a semi-circular head is present.

The interior retains some original details including panelled shutters.

A conservatory to the south-east corner of the house is recorded on the 1886 Ordnance Survey Map. Some dwarf brick walling and an area of polychromatic ceramic floor tiles incorporating cast-iron grilles remain on site.

Lansdowne Crescent Nos. 1–15 (consecutive) and 17–18 form a good group of listed buildings, comparing well with other developments of the period in Worcester such as Britannia Square, Lark Hill, and Rainbow Hill Terrace.