Gloucester Lodge (Number 129) Sherborne Lodge (Number 131) Gate Piers And Gates

CHELTENHAM

SO9422SE PROMENADE 630-1/13/756 (North West side) 12/03/55 Nos.129 AND 131 Gloucester Lodge (No.129), Sherborne Lodge (No.131), gate piers and gates

GV II*

Pair of semi-detached villas, now shop and attached gate piers and gate to left. Numbered right to left, described left to right. c1833-34. Architect probably John Forbes. Stucco over brick with concealed roof, with iron window guards and balconies. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys on basement, 7 first-floor windows, with 2-storey entrance bays set back to ends. Central 3-window breakforward has 4 fluted columns with Prince of Wales feather caps; end breakforwards to main range have Doric pilasters; continuous crowning entablature. Ground floor windows have tooled architraves and friezes with circle motif, similar architrave to entrance. Central entrance with roll-edged spreading steps. Additional entrances set back to ends have glazed double doors to left and double panelled doors to right and overlights in Doric pilastered surrounds in projecting solid porches with pilasters. First floor, main range has 6/6 sashes with margin-lights; ground-floor has French windows; outer ranges have casement windows and blind openings above; all in plain reveals and with sills. Basement has 4/8 sashes. INTERIOR: retains original plasterwork including acanthus frieze to ground floor at left. Side staircase to left part has stick balusters. Otherwise not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: ground-floor windows have individual balconies with bombe fronts and leaf and scroll decoration to left part, those to right part have openwork heart and scroll motif. 3 individual balconies with double-scroll and lyre motif to first floor. 2 rusticated gatepiers, square on plan, with dentil cornices and plank gates abut to left. HISTORICAL NOTE: The Promenade was laid out in 1818 as a tree-lined avenue from the Colonnade in the High Street to the Sherborne Spa (on the site of the Queen's Hotel (qv)), by 1826 it was a carriage drive with spacious gravel walk on each side. Building on the NW were the first to be developed. Shown as built on Merrett's Map of 1834. Forbes acquired the plot for No.129 (Sherborne Lodge) in 1833. Forbes became architect to the Pittville Estate c1835-6. Nos 121 and 123 (qv) 125 and 127 (qv), and 129 and 131 (qv) form a distinguished group of semi-detached villas, with

No.133 (qv) and The Queen's Hotel (qv), overlooking Imperial Gardens. (Chatwin A: Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984: 29; The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 146; Williams GA: Guide Book to Cheltenham: 1824-: 29; Merrett HS: Plan of the town of Cheltenham: 1834-; Blake S: 'The Unfortunate Mr Forbes': Cheltenham Local History Society Journal: 1989-: 7-27).

Listing NGR: SO9457622067