18 Vineyards and attached railings

House, circa 1760. Number 18 Vineyards was built with No.19 by John Hensley, part of the Vineyards development undertaken by Thomas Omer on ground formerly owned by the Hayne family. The site had been sold to Omer by Charles Hayne in 1755, with the portion containing Nos.16-19 underleased to William Biggs.

The building is constructed in limestone ashlar to the front (painted at ground floor level) and ashlar to the rear, with a double pile mansard roof covered in artificial slate and parapeted to the front. The party wall to the right is coped and shared with No.19 Vineyards, with two ashlar stacks also shared with that building.

The facade is three storeys, attic and basement with a two-window front. The first floor contains two 20th-century nine-over-nine sash windows in splayed ovolo moulded architraves with pulvinated friezes and pediments. These windows were lengthened so that the band course over the ground floor forms their sill, and wrought iron balconettes are fitted beneath them. The second floor has two six-over-six sashes in splayed cyma moulded architraves with stone sills. The ground floor to the right features two six-over-six round-headed sashes with fan-glazed heads in splayed reveals with lowered stone sills. To the left is a six-panel door with flush beaded, fielded and single glazed panels and etched decorative glass, set within a Gibbs surround doorcase. The doorcase has an ovolo moulded architrave broken by rustic blocks with flat frieze and heavy keystones superimposed, supporting a triangular pediment (comparable to the west side of Queen Square). Four steps lead to a Pennant paved crossover with a 19th-century cast iron footscraper. The basement contains two two-light timber casements in plain reveals with a continuous stone sill, and a half-glazed door in ashlar infilling beneath the crossover. Two single dormers with plate glass horned sashes pierce the roof. The band course over the ground floor, sill band to the first floor, bracketed eaves cornice and coped parapet are all continuous with No.19 Vineyards. A lead hopperhead and downpipe are located to the right.

According to a 1988 Bath Preservation Trust Survey of Interiors, the building retains a wooden closed string staircase with urn and column balusters and columnar newels. A trefoil-headed archway opens through the hall. The ground floor front dining room features arched recesses either side of the (modern) fireplace, with panelling below dado and egg and dart cornice. The first floor front drawing room contains a grey marble fireplace, reeded architraves to doors and windows, and connecting doors to a rear room. The cornice is enriched with acanthus ornament, and extensive original fabric survives elsewhere throughout the interior.

The ground on which this building stands was formerly the property of the Hayne family from 1638. Charles Hayne inherited it in 1750 and subsequently cleared encumbrances on the property. By 1755, plans to sell the Vineyards to Thomas Omer for building had reached an advanced stage. An indenture of 26 February 1755 finally realised this sale, with Charles Hayne selling the site of Vineyards for building at a yearly rent of £50 to Thomas Omer, Gentleman, and Thomas Jelly, Carpenter (his trustee). The Belmont building was subsequently constructed on the west edge of the same ground.

The plot has been referred to throughout its documented history by the name 'Vineyards' or similar archaic variants, though the date when its use for growing vines ceased is uncertain. The row to the north of the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel was originally called Harlequin Row because of its unusual use of brick and stone in construction.

Attached railings are included in the listing.