17, Rivers Street and attached railings

This is a three-story, attic, and basement terrace house, now converted into flats, dating from 1770-1775. It is part of the Rivers Street development undertaken by John Wood the Younger.

The front of the building is faced with limestone ashlar, while the lower parts have rubble construction. The rear is also of rubble. It has a mansard roof with Welsh Slate, a coped party wall to the left with two rebuilt ashlar stacks.

The front elevation features three windows per floor. The first floor has sash windows with two panes per sash, set within ovolo moulded architraves, incorporating friezes and cornices. The windows have lowered, moulded stone sills supported by cut-down console brackets with wrought iron balconettes. The second floor mirrors this design. The ground floor has two sash windows to the left and a six-panel door to the right, with a flush beaded, fielded panel and glazed panels. The door is set within a pedimented Doric doorcase, leading to a pennant-paved crossover. Basement windows are six-pane sashes. Modern infilling sits beneath the crossover, containing an ashlar panelled door with a four-pane overlight and access steps. There is a double dormer with plate glass sashes. A band course runs over the ground floor, and a modillion cornice supports a coped parapet. The rear elevation is largely obscured.

The interior remains uninspected.

Attached to the front are wrought iron railings and a gate with shaped tops, set on limestone bases.

Rivers Street was developed by John Wood the Younger in three phases, involving land transactions from various sources including Sir Benet Garrard, Sir Peter Rivers Gay, Thomas and Daniel Omer, Thomas and James Beale. A number of Bath builders were responsible for the construction, executing Wood’s design.