Numbers 125 And 127 And Attached Railings

CHELTENHAM

SO9422SE PROMENADE 630-1/13/755 (North West side) 12/03/55 Nos.125 AND 127 and attached railings

GV II*

Pair of semi-detached villas, now offices and attached railings. c1834-40, shown as laid out on Merrett's Map of 1834. Architect probably John Forbes. Stucco over brick with concealed roof and iron railings. PLAN: double pile with outer side halls; originally single-storey (now 2-storey) service wings to rear. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys with attic on basement, 8 first-floor windows arranged 1:1:4:1:1. Outer and centre bays break forwards; central breakforward articulated by 6 pilasters through ground and first-floor windows with Composite-type capitals: 2 to centre, between windows and to ends; entablature. 6/6 sashes where original, those to first floor, outer bays in tooled architraves with cornices on console brackets. Basement has blind openings and 6/6 sashes. Attics have sliding 6-pane sashes; windows set behind screen of pillars, panels to ends and pilasters to centre, crowning cornice and blocking course. End entrances: flight of 6 steps (roll-edged where original) to distyle fluted Doric porches with wreaths to frieze; double 4-panel doors and overlights with lozenge glazing bars and margin-lights. Returns have 3 windows: outer blind, central 6/6 sash between paired pilasters. Rear retains 6/6 and 3/3 sashes. INTERIOR: retains original plasterwork; acanthus cornice and ceiling frieze to front room, hall has guilloche motif to ceiling; dogleg staircase with wreathed handrail and alternate ornate and stick balusters. Original joinery includes panelled shutters. Otherwise not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURE: railings to sides of porches probably by Marshalls, the motif derived from LN Cottingham and stick balusters. HISTORICAL NOTE: Forbes acquired the plot for No.129 Promenade (qv) in 1833. He became architect and surveyor to the Pittville Estate in 1835-6. The Promenade was laid out in 1818 as a tree-lined drive to the Sherborne Spa (on the site of the Queen's Hotel (qv)) from the Colonnade on the High Street, in 1826 it was a carriage drive with spacious gravelled walk on each side. Buildings on the NW were the first to be developed. Forms a distinguished group of semi-detached villas with Nos 121 and 123 (qv) and Nos 129 and 131 (qv), which with No.133

(qv) and The Queen's Hotel overlook Imperial Gardens. (The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 139-40,146; Chatwin A: Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984: 29,40; Williams GA: Guide Book to Cheltenham: 1824-: 29; Blake S: 'The Unfortunate Mr Forbes': Cheltenham Local History Society Journal: 1989-: 7-27).

Listing NGR: SO9460122103