8 Rivers Street and attached railings

656-1/30/1382

RIVERS STREET (North side) No.8 and attached railings

(Formerly Listed as: RIVERS STREET (North side) Nos.1-15 (Consecutive))

12/06/50

GV II Terrace house, now flats. 1770-1775 with C20 alterations. By John Wood the Younger.

MATERIALS: limestone ashlar to front and rear, double pile parapeted mansard roof, Welsh Slate to front, double Romans to upper slope to rear, Welsh slate to lower, two ashlar stacks to right to front with early clay pots.

EXTERIOR: three storeys, attic and basement, three-window front. First floor has three nine/nine horned sashes in splayed reveals with lowered stone sills with wrought iron balconettes, timber blind box to each window. Second floor has three six/six-sashes in plain reveals with stone sills, each with timber blind box. Ground floor has to right two nine/nine horned sashes in splayed reveals with stone sills, each with timber blind box; to right six-panel door with flush reeded, fielded and glazed panels with cast iron lion's mask knocker, with glazed light to basement beneath doorstep, set deep within pedimented Doric doorcase, one step to pennant paved crossover with wrought iron footscraper. Basement has two six/six-sashes in plain reveals with stone sills, C20 glazed door with overlight and small window in ashlar infilling under doorstep, C20 area steps. One double and one single dormer with C20 metal casements. Band course over ground floor and modillion cornice and coped parapet continuous with No.9 Rivers Street (qv).

Rear elevation has full height canted bay with eight/eight-sash to first floor, two six/six-sashes to second floor, ashlar extension off staircase up to second half-landing.

INTERIOR: not inspected.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached wrought iron railings and gate with shaped heads on painted limestone bases.

HISTORY: Rivers Street was developed by John Wood the Younger on three parcels of land: Nos. 1-11 constructed in conjunction with Catharine Place on ground conveyed on perpetual leasehold from Sir Benet Garrard to Wood and Brock as his trustee 19/20 December 1766. Nos. 16-28 and 36-47 Rivers Street with areas behind Nos. 46 and 47 on ground conveyed from Rivers Estate (owned by Sir Peter Rivers Gay) to Wood 5 March 1768 for 99 years. Nos. 28-35 Rivers Street were constructed in conjunction with Russell Street on ground bought by John Wood and Andrew Sproule as his trustee from Thomas and Daniel Omer 30 December 1768 on perpetual freehold rents. Strip of ground on which Nos 12-15 and 48-50 Rivers Street constructed probably never acquired by Wood. Sites of Nos. 12-15 were conveyed from Rivers Estate to Thomas and James Beale on 30 December 1774 and 16 October 1776 on perpetual freehold rents.

A number of different Bath builders were responsible for implementing Wood's overall design, re Ison.

SOURCES: Building leases and rate books; Walter Ison, The Georgian Buildings of Bath (2nd ed. 1980), 233.

Listing NGR: ST7467465477