Numbers 114 To 124 And Attached Railings And Gates

Numbers 114 to 124 form a terrace of three pairs of houses built around 1820-1823 in Cheltenham. The houses are constructed with painted stucco over brick, with slate roofs; Nos. 114 and 116 have mansard roofs and stucco end and party-wall stacks. The terrace includes wrought-iron window guards, railings, and gates throughout.

The design follows a double-depth plan with entrances set into lower linking blocks, creating a row of houses that appear semi-detached. The three-storey elevation has a twelve-window range on the first floor, punctuated by three-storey, single-window recessed entrance bays. Stucco detailing includes rusticated ground floor panels, a first-floor band, window architraves with friezes and cornices, a crowning frieze, cornice, and a low parapet with panelled piers at the ends. The first floor features full-height sashes, mainly 6/6 panes, while the second floor has 3/6 sashes with sills. The ground floor originally had 6/6 sashes, although some have been replaced with 1/1 sashes. Ground floor windows are in plain reveals, and attic dormers are concealed behind the parapet. The basements have 3/6 sashes.

The entrances, reached by three roll-edged stone steps, feature 6-fielded-panel doors, some double and some part-glazed. Central blocks have overlights above the doors. Between the entrances stand panelled square columns topped with foliate caps; three retain a dentil frieze, all are finished with a cornice and panelled parapet, topped with an urn at Nos. 120 and 122. The entrance to the left end has a fanlight in a tooled surround, and that to the right end has an overlight within a round-arched recess. Rear elevations feature floor bands and mainly 6/6 sashes.

The interior of No. 118 is characterized by embellished cornices and shutters, though other houses were not inspected.

Subsidiary features include blind boxes to the ground floors of Nos. 118 and 120, and individual balconies to the first-floor windows featuring an anthemion design. The railings to the sides of the steps and to the areas include gates to the basement steps; those at Nos. 122 and 124 are Gothic-arched, while others have alternate lozenge and waved bars, with anthemion finials to the stanchions.

Historically, the terrace, originally known as Paragon Buildings and encompassing Nos. 114-136, was the home of Admiral and Midshipman Boyes (a Victoria Cross hero) at No. 118, and author Trollope for a year. It is considered an impressive terrace, retaining its piers.