Retaining Wall and Balustrade West of Railway Line is a Grade II* listed building in the Bath and North East Somerset local planning authority area, England. First listed on 5 August 1975. Infrastructure.
Retaining Wall and Balustrade West of Railway Line
- WRENN ID
- veiled-lintel-vetch
- Grade
- II*
- Local Planning Authority
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Constituency
- Bath MP: Wera Hobhouse (LD)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 5 August 1975
- Type
- Infrastructure
- Address
- Retaining Wall and Balustrade West of Railway Line, Sydney Gardens
- OS grid reference
- ST 758 654
- Coordinates
- 51.38714, -2.3488
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The retaining wall and balustrade located west of the railway line in Sydney Gardens were built around 1840 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the engineer for the Great Western Railway. Constructed from limestone ashlar, the low wall runs along the footpath and features alternating balustrades and panels set on a moulded plinth. This structure is part of the significant Great Western Railway mainline, and its design was carefully considered to enhance the landscape of Sydney Gardens rather than detract from it. The broad gauge of the railway is clearly visible, and the first train passed through in June 1841. Due to the poor condition of Bath railway station at the time, this location was selected as the arrival point for the Duke and Duchess of Connaught during their visit in 1881.
Local climate
Retaining Wall and Balustrade West of Railway Line receives an average of 850 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 59% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 63% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 33 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 55% of listed buildings. Of these, 14 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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