31-34, Portland Square

A terrace of four houses at 31-34 Portland Square, built between 1789 and 1820 by Daniel Hague. The houses are constructed of limestone ashlar with a slate mansard roof and have a double-depth plan. They are of mid-Georgian style, each house spanning three storeys, a basement and an attic, and featuring a three-window range. The formal, symmetrical design of the square is interrupted by Surrey Street. The ground floor is rusticated, with pilasters extending from a first-floor plat band to the cornice and parapet. The left-hand door cases feature Ionic columns supporting an entablature and pediment, above batswing fanlights, and 6/6-pane sash windows, with dormers above. The left-hand gable has a semicircular-arched doorway and similar windows above, incorporating Gibbs surrounds. Only the ground floor of No. 31 survives with the doorway now filled in. The interior of No. 33 includes segmental arches between ground-floor rooms and a curved dogleg staircase, which was restored around 1980. The basement contains segmental-arched vaults. Portland Square is described as Bristol's "most complete and beautiful Georgian square."