12 Northgate Street and 9 Bridge Street

12 Northgate Street and 9 Bridge Street

These two Grade II listed buildings form continuous interconnected premises in Bath stone with Welsh slate roofs, the rear extensions having flat bitumen roofs. The complex is L-shaped in plan, accessed via shop frontages on Northgate Street to the west and Bridge Street to the south-east, incorporating former houses on Slippery Lane and extending beneath the Podium shopping centre to the north. Slippery Lane continues through the sub-basement level.

12 Northgate Street comprises four storeys and basement with a narrow two-bay street frontage. The ground floor features a Neo-Grecian style shop front with central lobby entrance, plate glass with bronzed window bars, and a carved white limestone frame incorporating an acanthus frieze and ashlar fascia above. The entrance lobby retains black and white tiles bearing the lettering 'MILSOMS'. Above the ground floor is a sill band, with six-over-six sash windows in architrave surrounds and floating cornice heads at first floor; six-over-six sashes in architrave surrounds at second floor; and three-over-six sashes in architrave surrounds at third floor, topped by cornice and parapet. There is no chimney to the street elevation. The rear elevation has central six-over-six sash windows at first and second floors and a central casement window with two eight-light panes at third floor. Ground floor includes a single-storey extension with roof lantern and three further single-storey buildings with roof lights extending eastward. The former Slippery Lane houses to the south have been extended upwards and re-roofed with bitumen and slate, with a series of blocked door and window openings to the external south elevation, some with ashlar architraves and hood moulds.

The interior of 12 Northgate Street comprises a linear open-plan shop arrangement from west to east at ground floor, with two ground-floor rooms and a further three rooms at lower level accessed by a short staircase with wooden handrail, newel posts, panelling and decorative iron balustrade. The lower-level rooms have barrel-ceilings with decorative plasterwork and geometric leaded roof lights. Upper floors contain living accommodation with surviving fireplaces and joinery. Evidence of late 20th-century rebuilding is visible along the Slippery Lane wall. The former Slippery Lane houses retain a 17th-century window frame with ovolo-moulded mullion on the north wall, blocked window and door openings, and a chimney breast. Ground floor and basement contain 18th-century fireplaces.

9 Bridge Street occupies a corner plot and comprises three storeys, attic and basement with a three-bay street frontage and a six-bay return elevation. The ground floor displays an Edwardian shop front of three panes with narrow timber mullions, arched heads divided into three panes with stained glass to the spandrels. Rusticated pilasters flank the shop front, carrying a modillion cornice that continues above the fascia. The upper floors are framed by giant Corinthian pilasters carrying a frieze band. First and second floor windows are six-over-one sashes in architrave surrounds with cornice heads; the central first-floor window has a segmented pediment. The mansard roof features paired pedimented dormer windows with six-over-one sashes. Parapet vases ornament the right-hand corner (a pair) and left-hand corner (single). The return elevation is arranged in four and two bays. Ground floor has a double-door shop entrance with tiled mosaic to the pavement bearing the lettering 'DUCK, SON AND PINKER', flanked to the right by a large display window; both have rusticated ashlar surrounds. First and second floors have six-over-one sashes with architrave surrounds to those on the left; the second and third windows from the left at first floor have cornice heads. A large rubble end stack without pots rises above the right elevation. The mansard roof over the right two bays features a paired flat-roofed dormer window with small panes.

The interior of 9 Bridge Street features a shop with cornicing and decorative plasterwork ceiling. Upper rooms are open-plan. A lift shaft retains its panelled door, designed to move pianos; the hoist has been relocated to the ground-floor entrance hall. The basements include two-centred arch openings, vaulted ceilings and fireplaces.