Numbers 1 to 13 with Attached Area Railings Throughout and Pier to Number 1

NUMBERS 1 TO 13 WITH ATTACHED AREA RAILINGS THROUGHOUT AND PIER TO NUMBER 1, CHELTENHAM

Terrace of 13 houses with attached area railings throughout and a pier to Number 1, built around 1834. The houses are shown as laid out but not yet built upon on Merrett's Map of 1834. The builders were Robert Todd and William Prosser, probably working to designs by John Forbes. The terrace features stucco over brick with concealed double-pitched roofs, iron railings and verandahs, and an ashlar pier. The houses have a double-depth plan with side stairhalls and mainly three-lower-storey service ranges to the rear.

EXTERIOR

The terrace is three storeys high on basements with 39 first-floor windows (two per house). The stucco detailing includes horizontal rustication to the ground floor, and a first-floor band surmounted by Doric pilasters to the ends and between windows running through the first and second floors, which interrupts the second-floor band. An architrave, frieze, cornice and blocking course with copings complete the composition. The windows are mainly 6/6 sashes (where original), taller to the first floor, with some blind central openings to the second floors. All windows are in plain reveals with sills to the ground and second floors.

Entrances to the right and left feature flights of roll-edged steps leading to double 4-panel doors with overlights (with glazing bars where original). Some doors are set back, and several retain hand-and-wreath motif knockers.

The entrance to Number 13 at the right return has an Ionic porch with two pairs of columns, architrave, frieze and cornice. A bay above the porch breaks forward. Windows to the right return (3+1) have tooled architraves, 6/6 sashes and blind openings. To the rear of Number 13 is a full-height wide bow with 8/8 sashes and tooled architraves. The rear elevation has 6/6 and 8/8 sashes, plus a later Victorian oriel window to Number 7.

INTERIOR

Many of the houses retain original features with varying levels of embellishment. Number 7 has an egg-and-dart cornice to the hallway. A dogleg staircase has stick balusters with a wreathed handrail. An Art Nouveau arcade to the hall features roses and a cartouche. The first floor has a fireplace with pilasters and dentil cornice. The main room to the front has late 19th-century panelling and an egg-and-dart cornice with a scrolled ceiling frieze. Panelled dividing doors exist between the front and rear rooms.

Number 8 has a similar staircase. Number 9 also has a similar staircase, with the ground-floor front room featuring an egg-and-dart cornice and a deep moulded frieze. The first floor has a fireplace with fielded panels, and to the rear is a Regency fireplace with a circle motif.

Number 10 has a similar staircase with alternate stick and rod-and-bobbin balusters, marble fireplaces with corbels, and good cornices. Number 11 has a similar staircase (balusters renewed) with cornices embellished with egg-and-dart, acanthus modillions and fleurons. Many houses retain shutters to windows. The remaining houses were not inspected in detail.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES

The first-floor verandah has a double heart and anthemion motif balustrade supplied by the Carron Company, except to the right (Number 13) which has a ground-floor verandah to the front and return with an X- and circle-motif balustrade. The area railings have an X-motif and embellished rods to the sides of steps. Some ground-floor windows have window boxes with a circle frieze. Number 1 has spearhead railings at the left with a pier at the end.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The Square originally overlooked the Imperial Nursery.