No. 20 And Attached Railings, Wall And Ironwork

No. 20 is a house, now converted into flats, dating to approximately 1786, with alterations made in the 20th century. It is constructed of limestone ashlar to the front elevation, with rubble and render to the rear. The property has a double-pile, parapeted mansard roof covered with artificial slate to the rear and upper slope of the front, and Welsh slate to the lower front slope. A coped party wall is present on the right-hand side, featuring two rebuilt ashlar stacks.

The house presents a three-window range over three storeys, an attic, and a basement. The first floor has three six/six-sash windows set in plain reveals; the second floor mirrors this arrangement. The ground floor features two similar windows with stone sills on the right-hand side, and a six-panel door with flush, reeded, and fielded panels, with voided corners and glazed panels, set within a pedimented Doric doorcase supported by full round columns. A small two-pane window with a wrought iron bar guard is located to the left of the doorcase. A single step leads to a crossover paved with large pennant slabs and including a cast iron footscraper. The basement has an eight/eight-sash window in a splayed reveal with a stone sill; there is 20th century ashlar infilling beneath the crossover, with an ashlar extension containing a 20th-century window and a pennant-paved roof. The attic is lit by a triple dormer with plate glass sashes. Architectural details include a band course above the ground floor, a sill band to the first and second floors, a modillion eaves cornice, and a coped parapet which continues with No. 19 Portland Place. A lead hopperhead is visible at the eaves on the left-hand side.

The rear elevation incorporates a full-height, nearly full-width segmental bow with three six/six-sash windows to each floor (aside from the basement, which has two similar windows). A 20th-century door is also present on the ground floor. A narrow strip of rendered wall, with a lead hopperhead at the eaves, is situated to the right of the bow. The rear also features a triple dormer with plate glass sashes.

The interior of the property has not been inspected.

Attached to the property are wrought iron railings and a gate featuring urn tops with a bottom rail on buns, set on painted pennant bases. A coped ashlar wall runs along the right side, rising from approximately 1.3 meters high at the house to approximately 2 meters high at the pavement. This wall includes an ironwork trellis panel with wrought iron scrollwork and security fronds at the higher section.

The house is associated with the history outlined in the entry for 1-10 Portland Place. A source documenting the Georgian buildings of Bath provides further details (Ison W: The Georgian Buildings of Bath: London: 1948-: 162).