Nos. 53 And 55 Somerset Cottage (55)

Nos. 53 and 55 Somerset Cottage are a pair of semi-detached villas dating from the 1830s to the 1840s. They are constructed of limestone ashlar with a slate roof. The design is of a compact, symmetrical block with a low-pitched hipped roof and lower, gabled rear wings. The front elevation has two storeys. The first floor windows are single, plain sashes, with a blind panel in the centre, while the ground floor has two French casements. All windows have sliding Venetian shutters with tent hoods, which were in poor condition in 1994. A continuous hood extends across the front, supported by ornamental wrought iron standards and lintels. The central bay of the first floor is slightly recessed, with a plain eaves band, deep eaves resting on rafter brackets, and a large central ashlar chimney stack with bold capping. Each house has a two-storey square ashlar porch with a recessed door and small arched lights in the returns. Lower two-storey wings extend to either side, with high coped gables on prominent kneelers and a further lean-to unit beyond. These wings feature twelve-pane sashes. The interiors have not been inspected. These villas were part of a series of similar properties in this area of Prior Park Road. They are not depicted on the Prior Park estate map of 1828, though deeds for No. 53 are said to date from 1831 and the houses were mentioned in the Bath Guide of 1853.