Numbers 1-59 And Attached Railings

Numbers 1–59 and Attached Railings, Cumberland Terrace, Camden

A monumental palace-style terrace of 59 houses dating to around 1827, designed by John Nash and J Thomson for the Commissioners of Woods, Forests & Land Revenues. The terrace was built by JG Bubb, with arches constructed by WM Nurse. The entire composition is approximately 240 metres long and rendered in stucco.

The terrace is organized in three blocks linked by triumphal arches that lead into two courtyards. Each courtyard contains pairs of houses with drives extending to former mews.

The central block (numbers 20–49) comprises 4 storeys and basements. Its principal feature is a central projecting Ionic decastyle pedimented portico of Giant Order, flanked by slightly less projecting single bays with paired columns and attic storeys. The ground floor is rusticated, with square-headed doorways featuring patterned fanlights and panelled doors (where not converted to windows), forming a podium effect. Cast-iron balconies sit between the columns. An entablature topped by a balustraded parapet with vases and sculptured figures on dies crowns this section. The tympanum contains sculpture of allegorical figures, with figurative acroteria at the angles.

On either side of the portico, eleven bays feature rusticated ground floors and Ionic pilasters rising through the first and second floors to carry an entablature at the third floor level, with a cornice and blocking course above the attic storey. Upper floors have architraved sash windows; the first floor features a continuous cast-iron balcony. The terminating bays project as single-bay pavilions, echoing the design of the bays flanking the pedimented section.

The triumphal arches linking the central and outer blocks each comprise a single central architraved archway flanked by paired Ionic columns carrying an entablature and blocking course. These are connected to the main blocks by rusticated stucco screen walls.

The outer blocks (numbers 1–17 and 52–57) each contain eleven bays similar to those flanking the central portico and terminate in similar pavilion-style bays at each end. The end houses of these blocks feature stucco pilastered porticoes on their returns.

Behind the arches sit pairs of houses forming the courtyards (numbers 18–19 and 50–51). These are rendered in stucco with slated roofs and central chimneys, comprising 2 storeys and basements with 5 windows. Corinthian pilasters rise through the ground and first floors to carry a modified entablature with a cornice at eaves level, surmounted by an arcaded parapet. Pilastered porticoes with round-arched entrances frame the doors. Sashes are recessed; the ground floor windows are tripartite. A plain first-floor sill band runs across.

Numbers 58 and 59 are a pair of houses set back from the main terrace at the north end. Rendered in stucco with rusticated ground floors and projecting pilasters at the angles, they comprise 3 storeys and a basement with 3 windows overall. A projecting central bay contains coupled entrances flanked by pilasters and surmounted by a parapet of Greek fret pattern with acroteria on dies. The doorways are square-headed with fanlights and panelled doors. Sashes are recessed, with architraved upper floors; the first floor carries balconies to the flanking sashes and a central pedimented tripartite casement. A cornice at the second-floor level breaks forward with pilasters; a similar feature appears above the second floor, topped by a blocking course.

The interiors have not been inspected. Attached to all areas and gardens of numbers 58 and 59 are cast-iron railings with tasselled spearhead finials.

The terrace was designed to create the appearance of a palace overlooking the natural landscape of Regent's Park. The King's guinguette, had it been constructed, would have stood almost opposite.