South Colonnade At Grand Pump Room

The South Colonnade at the Grand Pump Room is a colonnaded entrance built between 1788 and 1789 by Thomas Baldwin, with later alterations and a subsequent restoration in approximately 1970. Constructed primarily of limestone ashlar, the colonnade comprises nine bays featuring unfluted Ionic columns that progressively increase in height to accommodate the slope of the ground. The exterior mirrors the North Colonnade but is partially enclosed due to its function as an entrance to "New Private Baths." Paired columns define the connection points with the Grand Pump Room and the City Souvenir Shop. The first bay has a doorway with an arched head and radiating fanlight; bays two, eight, and nine contain arched alcoves (originally doorways in all nine bays); and bays three through seven are open, screened by wrought iron railings. Shallow steps lead to the centre three bays, which are surmounted by a pediment. Behind the steps, bays three and seven have four-pane windows, while bays four through six each feature a panelled double door with a fanlight. The entablature, with an enriched pediment, slightly projects over the center three bays, and bears an inscription stating "KING'S AND QUEEN'S BATHS" above relief carvings of Sphinxes facing a wreathed oval featuring Hygeia. A balustraded parapet is located above bays two and six. Internally, a sixteen-sided lantern rises behind the pediment. Originally, alterations by Major Charles Davis in 1886 were demolished around 1970 to largely restore the original design. The colonnade was part of Thomas Baldwin’s broader improvements to the city center and forms a significant component of the west wall of the Grand Pump Room and the adjoining North Colonnade.