Numbers 33 To 45 And Attached Railings

Numbers 33 to 45 and Attached Railings, Promenade, Cheltenham

A symmetrical terrace of four houses, now converted to shops and a bank, dating from around 1820 with later additions and alterations. The conversion to shops probably occurred between 1845 and 1876, with predominantly early 20th-century shop fronts. The building is constructed of stucco over brick with a concealed roof and stucco end and party-wall stacks.

The exterior displays three storeys with an attic storey to the right, spanning a 26-window first-floor range. Breakforwards project at the end two windows, the 18th, 21st to 23rd, and 26th windows. The end breakforward features pilaster strips embellished with scrolled foliage. The right breakforward is articulated with four fluted Ionic pilasters surmounted by a continuous entablature over the second floor, with bands of anthemion and palmette motifs between the first and second floors. First-floor windows have tooled architraves to two windows at the left, to the 18th and 26th windows, and all have floating cornices. The three first-floor centre windows to the centre of the nine-window range have floating cornices on consoles. Low parapets and copings to the ends partly conceal the attics. The parapet to the centre features raised panels with wreaths and is surmounted by scrolls. Windows are 6/6 sashes except to the attic, which has 3/6 sashes.

The ground-floor shop fronts display refined classical detailing: to the left a Corinthian-columned front between plate-glass windows with continuous entablature; an entrance to the left angle with shouldered and tooled architrave and a pediment with double glazed doors; followed by shop fronts with Ionic and Corinthian columns and entablature respectively; a glazed shop front; and a nine-window range with a central entrance featuring a distyle Roman Doric portico with surmounting acroteria and continuous entablature. The ground-floor ashlar work continues this sophisticated treatment throughout.

The left return extends three storeys to an attic with a mansard roof and seven first-floor windows. Similar stucco detailing includes end and off-centre right pilasters with ornate scroll decoration to the panels, and an off-centre left Doric pilaster, with crowning entablature and low parapet. The ground floor to the banking hall features similar ashlar Corinthian half-columns. First and second floors have 6/6 sashes.

Numbers 37 and 41 have balconies with curved quarterings in square. Steps up to Number 41 have railings and a scraper.

The Promenade was laid out in 1818 as a tree-lined drive to the Sherborne Spa (on the site of the Queen's Hotel) from the Colonnade in the High Street. By 1826 it had become a carriage drive with spacious gravelled walks on each side. Originally lined with elegant houses on both sides, by 1845 nearly the whole of the left-hand side had been converted to professional and business establishments. The buildings on the north-west side were developed first. The upper floors to Number 33 in particular form a well-proportioned and richly-detailed neo-Classical design. This terrace forms a continuous range with Numbers 21 to 31 (odd) on the Promenade.