6-18, St James'S Parade

A terrace of houses and shops dating to approximately 1768. The terrace was likely designed by John Palmer, although the work may have involved Wood the Younger, who employed a Venetian window style, albeit with more refinement. The building is constructed from limestone ashlar, with rubble to the rear, and has a slate and double Roman tile roof. It extends over three storeys plus a mansard roof. The first floor features Venetian windows (missing from number 19), with a three-light window above. The doorways incorporate a Doric order with pediments, and some elements display carved triglyphs and metopes decorated with rosettes and swags. The interior has not been inspected. St James's Parade, originally known as Thomas Street, formed the centrepiece of a development initiated in 1765 by Richard Jones, Thomas Jelly, and Henry Fisher, who received permission to demolish the Boro' walls adjacent to the Ambry gardens to facilitate new house construction. The street was originally closed off with bollards, and the houses faced a broad paved walk. The elevations are influenced by the designs of John Wood the Younger, as seen in Rivers Street. The houses were primarily built around 1768. Following bomb damage and subsequent clearance and redevelopment, St James's Parade was preserved. A former public house in the terrace was previously known as the Rugby Arms.