Cavendish Villa And Attached Garden Wall, Railings, Gate And Gate Piers

Cavendish Villa and Attached Garden Wall, Railings, Gate and Gate Piers

A house dating from around 1779, with early and mid-19th century and 20th century alterations, built in limestone ashlar with render applied to the right side of the front range. The roof is Welsh slate with a parapeted coped gable to the right and hipped section to the left, topped by a small ashlar stack on the right end.

The main front is two storeys with two bays and six windows. The 18th century range was refronted and a bow was added in the early 19th century. On the first floor, to the left are narrow plate glass sashes flanking a six-over-six sash in plain reveals with a continuous stone sill. The bow to the right contains three similar plate glass horned sashes. The ground floor has two 19th century windows to the left flanking French doors in plain reveals with a stone sill cut through to the centre. The bow to the right contains two similar windows and French doors, with stone sills to windows on both sides. A moulded band course runs over the ground floor, with moulded stone eaves cornice and coped parapet above. To the right is a set-back two-storey addition with a door of four reeded panels and a three-light glazed panel above in a plain reveal. Evidence remains of a ground floor verandah with tent roof spanning the entire front. A mid-19th century range extends to the rear with single-storey ranges attached to the right.

The interior contains a 19th century stick baluster well staircase with winders, modified in the 20th century. The ground floor right has a reeded marble fireplace, chimney breast cupboards and plaster cornice installed by recent owners, with cupboards in an existing arched recess. The ground floor left also has a reeded marble fireplace installed by recent owners, and a grate dated 1851 (originally from the first floor rear right). The ground floor rear left retains an early 18th century nine-pane fixed light with fat ovolo glazing bars. The first floor front right shows a short section of early coved cornice and an early 19th century stone and timber chimney piece. The first floor front left has an early 19th century stone reeded chimney piece with roundel corners, six-panel doors and early 19th century cyma moulded architraves. A bell and wrought iron cage formerly attached to the garden wall is now stored in the house.

The attached garden wall and gatepiers are limestone ashlar. The front wall features mild steel railings and a gate restored around 1989, with ashlar coping to the right side. Piers approximately 3 metres high at the front left and right, with ribbed friezes, moulded cornices and shaped caps, flank a wall approximately 1 metre high topped by railings. The pier to the right supports a gate on the angle and is matched by a pier supporting a gate on the other side; both are five-sided to accommodate a splayed corner. The right side has a short section of railings on the wall to match the front, a further similar pier, and a wall 1.5 to 2 metres high ramping up over a plank door adjacent to the house. A section of ashlar wall with ashlar coping forming part of the boundary of No.2 Winifred's Dale is attached to the left, rising to a square pier with chamfered arrises approximately 2.5 metres high, with pulvinated frieze and pedimented cap.

The building was originally known as Park Place cottage. Deeds believed by the owner to date from 1779 support this, and a fragment of dentil cornice from the ground floor front right room is stylistically consistent with circa 1779. A small building of square plan appears marked on a plan of the area dated 6 June 1786 by Charles Harcourt Masters, with the plot marked 'Mr Lanham'. By 1841, buildings had been added to each side at the back and the property was renamed Cavendish Villa. Between 1841 and 1852 a curved bay was added on the south side at the front. By 1882 the north half of the house had been added, together with a new entrance on the south side and possibly a water closet. During the Second World War, Clifford Ellis was asked to record the architectural ironwork in case it was requisitioned for scrap, producing a drawing titled 'Gateway, Cavendish Villa, Bath' dated 1942. The gates were subsequently taken and the gateway filled with stone slabs. The gates were reinstated in the 1990s.