Malmaison Cheltenham and attached railings

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SO9421NW 630-1/17/195

CHELTENHAM BAYSHILL ROAD (west side) Malmaison Cheltenham and attached railings

(Formerly listed as Savoy Hotel and attached railings

12/03/55

GV II Villa, now hotel and attached railings. 1847, by Samuel Onley, with later additions and alterations including c1870-80 conservatory to right and c1890s ranges to rear. Stucco with slate roof and iron balustrade (possibly Coalbrookdale).

EXTERIOR: main range of two storeys with attic and basement, nine first floor window range which breaks forward to form stepped facade of 2:1:3:1:2. The three window entrance bay is articulated by two storey Corinthian pilasters; continuous frieze, architrave and modillion cornice; above, to attic are Tuscan pilasters with continuous cornices and blocking course; central tetrastyle Corinthian porch has frieze, architrave, dentil and modillion cornice; flight of renewed steps to glazed doors in architrave with acanthus modillion cornice. Range to right is recessed more deeply and is blind. Windows: ground and first floors have 1/1 sashes with lugs (blind boxes renewed) in plain reveals with sills on feet, those to ground floor have tooled architraves, frieze and cornice; otherwise 8/8 (basement), 3/3 and 6/1 (attic) sashes. Left facade a four window range has four similar Corinthian pilasters. Right three window range similarly articulated. Glazed conservatory has hipped roof, slender columnettes.

INTERIOR: includes open-well staircase with wreathed handrail and ornamental wrought-iron balusters. Shutters to most windows. Main reception room at right has three marble fireplaces, one Regency style. Conservatory has Coalbrookdale tile floor.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: to sides of porch a iron balustrade of ornate panels with female masks; there are similar panels to Farnley Lodge, Duoro Road.

HISTORICAL NOTE: the Bayshill estate was developed by a joint stock company which purchased land from the Skillicorne family in 1837. By 1843 Henry Davies, in his Guide to Cheltenham, described 'a number of detached villas .. several of which are occupied by resident families of affluence and station, and others are in an unfinished state.' By c1845 the company was bankrupt and Onley bought much Bayshill property. Little considers this to be one of a `superb group (of villas) that make Bayshill Road one of the great roads for architecture in all England'.

(Sampson A and Blake S: A Cheltenham Companion: Cheltenham: 1993-: 28; Chatwin A: Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork: Cheltenham: 1975-1984: 48; Little B: Cheltenham: London: 1952-: 76; The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 146; Hart G: A History of Cheltenham: Stroud: 1965-1990: 172-3).

Listing NGR: SO9430721964