20, 21 AND 22, HIGH STREET

HIGH STREET 656-1/0/0 (West side) Nos.20, 21 AND 22 11/08/72

GV II

Shops with accommodation over. Late C18 with late C19 alterations. 1927 alterations by Percival B Rigg for WH Smith. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, painted on first floor of Nos 21 and 22, roofs not visible from street. PLAN: Double depth plan with rear wings into Northumberland Place. EXTERIOR: Three storeys and attics, ten-bays, four:two:four, with the two set slightly forward, these are over entrance to Northumberland Place. Arrangement in properties three:four:three. Plain design. Ground floor has shops under deep fascia. No.20 late C19 with timber shopfront in stone frame, all set slightly forward of Nos 21 and 22 which are amalgamated into one double fronted shop with early C20 shopfront (although it may retain portions of 1877 shopfront by CE Davis). Designed for W.H. Smith & Son Ltd in 1926, it originally had an Arts & Crafts character. On a side panel is a picture of a Toucan on a glazed tiled panel advertising NATURE BOOKS. The lead rainwater header has a raised `1927' and cut out W.H. Smith. First floor windows in plain reveals, six/six late C18 type sashes to No.20. Late C19 plate glass sashes, plain, to Nos 21 and 22. Second floor has all six/six sashes on sill band. Cornice. Full attic floor has three pairs of six/six sashes. Cornice, parapet, roof not visible, end stacks without pots. No.21 has entrance to Northumberland Place, onto which there is C18 elevation, rendered and painted, with four storeys, two windows, six/six sashes with architraves, and pediment with coat of arms over. Effectively closes view looking east along Northumberland Place. Rear facade of No.21 to Northumberland Place has panel door to left with overlight, above two six/five sashes to each floor, upper pedimented gable contains royal-coat-of-arms in semi-circular niche. No. 21 has a mosaic paved lobby in Art Nouveau style with the lettering Crook & Sons, c. 1904. INTERIORS: Not inspected, except No. 22 in 1979, which has Georgian stairs with Doric colonnettes, bolection moulded panel over fireplace on first floor and possible C17 panelling. The second floor has Victorian stencilling and fine panelling. Stairs to Northumberland passage have very wide winders. SOURCES: (Finch G: Shopfront Record, Bath City Council: 1992).

Listing NGR: ST7509064873