George'S Hotel

SOUTH PARADE 656-1/41/1506

Nos.2 AND 3 George's Hotel

(Formerly Listed as: SOUTH PARADE No.1. Nos 2 and 3 (Farrell's Hotel). Nos 4-8 (consec) (Pratt's Hotel)) 12/06/50

GV I

Houses now hotel. c1743-49. By John Wood the Elder. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar with pantile roof. PLAN: Double depth with rear extensions. EXTERIOR: Part of the three storey (with attics and basement) Palladian palace-fronted terrace, twenty-nine bays in all, arranged three:seven:three:three:three:seven:three. Set back from left-hand neighbour and the centrepiece. Each house of three bays, with windows all late C19 plate glass sashes, set within moulded surrounds with cornice heads to first floor windows; No.3 has dropped sills to first floor windows. Doorways to right, with altered eight panel doors set within aedicular surrounds with pediments carried on console brackets. Platband at first floor level; No. 3 has remains of first floor sill band. Modillion cornice. Parapet formerly with stone balustrade (qv No. 1), but now only the solid sections remain in situ. Mansard roof with two flat-topped dormers and plain sash windows. Ashlar stacks with all pots missing. Wrought iron front area railings in place of original stone balustrade; basement area of No.2 filled with modern extension. INTERIORS: Ground floors considerably altered, containing modern Hotel Reception and bar. HISTORY: Called by Wood the 'Grand Parade', this formed part of John Wood's uncompleted scheme for the Abbey Orchard, 1740-1748, and thus part of one of the major urban developments of the day, built to a single overall design. Wood intended it to serve as a civic meeting place, as a monumental backdrop to a place for promenades. Work commenced on the row in 1743, but plots were still being assigned in 1749. SOURCES: John Wood, 'A Description of Bath' (2nd ed. 1765, repr. 1969), 248 & 349-51; Walter Ison, The Georgian Buildings of Bath¿ (2nd d. 1980), 137, 229; Mowl T and Earnshaw B:John Wood Architect of Obsession¿ (1988), 135-147; James Lees-Milne and D. Ford, `Images of Bath¿ (1982), 608.

Listing NGR: ST7526364630