52-58, PROMENADE

This is a terrace of four houses, now five shops, dating to approximately 1820-40. The buildings are located on the Promenade in Cheltenham and have undergone later alterations, including conversion to shops likely before 1845, and shop front replacements in the late 19th century and the 1970s. The construction is stucco over brick, with a slate roof, tall brick and stud partition ridge stacks, and an iron balustrade.

The two-storey facade has seven first-floor windows, arranged in a three-bay, two-bay, two-bay pattern, with a prominent, off-centre right breakforward topped by a pediment. Art Nouveau detailing is present on the three shop fronts on the left-hand side. Stucco detailing includes pilasters with recessed panels on the breakforward, a continuous cornice, wide eaves, and a central pediment. The first-floor windows are 6/6 sash windows, set in stepped reveals. The shop fronts vary; the shop on the right has a late 20th-century plate glass display. The other three retain pilasters, a fascia board, and a dentil frieze with embellished dividers supporting the balustrade. The shop front at number 52, dating to 1892, features a glazed panel to the left, an embellished mullion, a curved pane into the doorway with Art Nouveau heart-shaped glazing bars, an original brass mermaid door handle, and a deep frieze with intersecting glazing bars. The initial 'P' is displayed on the left part of the frieze. Other shop fronts have replacement plate glass and entrances.

The interior of the buildings was not inspected. A balustrade runs across the three left-hand shop fronts, displaying an Art Nouveau intersecting motif including foliate embellishments and tulip finials.

The Promenade was laid out in 1818 as a tree-lined avenue, and by 1826 was a carriage drive. By 1845, the southeast side was largely occupied by professional and business establishments. The shop front at number 52 is a noteworthy example of its type.