4 And 5, Henrietta Villas

A pair of semi-detached houses dating to circa 1840. The houses are constructed of limestone ashlar with a shallow-pitched slate roof, featuring shaped brackets to the wide eaves and a central ridge stack. They have a double-depth plan with set-back entrance bays.

The external appearance is of three storeys with semi-basements, presenting a symmetrical five-window range, including blind windows to the party wall. The windows are six/six-pane sash windows; those on the second floor reach the eaves band. First-floor windows have moulded architraves, and a continuous sill band. The central blind window has a cornice on consoles, while those in the entrance bays have panelled aprons flanked by piers. A ground floor cornice and entablature, with a fine guttae string, follows the contour of the rectangular bays, featuring clasping pilasters that continue above the cornice to form dies supporting cast iron balustraded balconies. The central blind window has a cornice and bracketed sill. Steps lead up to four-panel doors with margin-paned overlights. Number 4, on the left, has a casement window in its bay, while Number 5 has a small balconette to the window above the door.

The interiors have not been inspected. These villas were built as part of a suburban development that originally included Frances Square, and are shown on Cotterell’s 1851 plan of Bath. They were recorded as "newly erected" in the Bath Guide for 1853. A print from 1844 shows a row of three similar villas, likely numbers 3 to 6. The road is situated along the old footpath connecting Bath and Bathwick.