Numbers 12 And 13 And Attached Railings And Piers

Numbers 12 and 13 are a pair of attached houses built around 1845 in Clifton, Bristol. They are constructed from limestone ashlar and feature party wall stacks, with the roof not visible. Designed in a Neoclassical style, each house has two storeys and a basement, arranged in a two-window range. The front of the houses showcases a striking Ionic tetrastyle-in-antis temple front, complete with a full entablature and a dentil pediment that includes a scroll and wreath in the tympanum.

Set back behind the temple front are the main houses, which have outer, lower entrance blocks that each feature a moulded parapet and scrolled brackets on either side of the central section. The entrances are open and lead to recessed doorways with overlights and two-panel doors, flanked by tripartite central ground-floor windows with 4/4-pane sashes, and 2/2-pane sashes on the sides. The remaining windows are 6/6-pane sashes with moulded cills. The side elevations include semicircular-arched stair lights.

Inside No. 13, the entrance hall is divided by an elliptical arch supported by Ionic capitals. There is a right-hand stair flight with turned balusters and a curtail, along with a central lateral first-floor attic stair. The ground-floor rooms are connected by folding panelled doors and feature a good marble fireplace with Ionic capitals, heavy cornices, and bracketed details in the stair hall. Panelled shutters and six-panel doors are also present.

The houses are complemented by attached spear-headed front garden railings, gates, and two pairs of rusticated piers with pediment caps. This design is noted for its effective application of a Classical temple front to two houses. They were built by the developer of the entire street, with this being the last house constructed for himself. The wreath motif was a favourite of architect R.S. Pope.