St Margarets Terrace Numbers 1 To 6 And Attached Area Railings

St Margaret's Terrace Numbers 1 to 6 and Attached Area Railings

A terrace of six houses, now converted to offices (to the left) and flats, built between 1820 and 1825 for the Hon Katherine Monson, who supervised the building. The terrace is constructed of ashlar over brick with a concealed double-pitch roof and brick party-wall stacks. It features cast- and wrought-iron balconies and railings throughout.

The exterior is four storeys high with 17 first-floor windows arranged in a pattern of 1:3:2:6:2:3:1. A two-storey single bay projects to the left. The composition would be symmetrical if this left bay rose to full height. Three-window ranges break forwards, with a central six-window breakforward as the focal point.

The architectural detailing is accomplished. Continuous horizontal rustication runs across the ground floor, with a first-floor band surmounted by Doric pilasters that rise through the first and second floors to the end breakforwards. Pilasters flank the ends and spaces between windows, and at the centre breakforward. The second-floor band interrupts these pilasters except at the end breakforwards. A continuous entablature crowns this treatment, above which pilasters rise to support an entablature that merges into a continuous frieze and cornice, finished with a blocking course.

Windows feature tooled architraves and cornices to the first-floor windows of the end breakforwards and to the window at the far right. All windows are 6/6 sash windows, with those on the first floor extending the full height of the storey.

Entrances are symmetrically placed, alternating left-right-right-left-left-right. Doors are either three- or six-fielded panel (upper panels raised and fielded, lower panels flush with reeded circular surrounds), with sidelights set in moulded pilastered surrounds decorated with egg-and-dart and acanthus friezes. Overlights feature either cambered heads or batwing and circle type glazing bars.

The rear elevations are notably well treated. The end buildings display ashlar (now stuccoed) with full-height three-window bows. The centre section has three full-height pilaster strips forming the sides of elliptically-arched recesses to two central windows, with a further pilaster strip articulating the party-wall divide. Originally six, now two tripartite windows with 6/6 sashes flanking 2/2 sashes feature flat arches of gauged brick; elsewhere, 6/6 sashes predominate. A central portico with one Doric column and pilasters carries a dentil frieze and cornice. Two 3/6 sashes with Gothic glazing bars to round-arched heads open from this porch, alongside a door with similar glazing. To the right return of the porch sits a rose window and entrance comprising a four-panel part-glazed door with circular glazed panel. The entrance to No.6 is a recessed six-panel door with overlight in a round-arched pilastered surround complete with frieze and blind elliptical overlight. The right return displays three first-floor windows, mostly blind, alongside two 6/6 sashes with radial glazing bars to their heads.

The interior retains many original features. No.1 contains plasterwork with acanthus cornices and scrolled ceiling friezes. Windows have tooled architraves with fleurons and honeysuckle ornament. A narrow open-well staircase rises to full height with carved tread ends and stick balusters interspersed with ornate iron balusters and decorative panels. The handrail is wreathed. Six-panel doors throughout, including one with a tooled architrave set between round-arched niches. Some architraves feature flower ornaments at corners. Marble fireplaces are present. No.2 retains a similar staircase with stick balusters and run-out handrail, plus comparable joinery. The interiors of other houses were not inspected in detail.

Subsidiary features include a continuous wrought-iron verandah (missing to the left) with panels featuring a central circle motif and, at the right, embellished rods with lattice frieze. Balcony dividers carry a scrolled circle motif. Bootscrapers survive at Nos.1, 2, and 4. Spearhead area railings with urn finials border the front. The rear features several individual balconies decorated with lattice and scrolled lozenge motifs, embellished rods, and X-motifs.

Historically, the terrace does not appear on the Post Office Map of 1820 but is shown on Griffith's Map of 1826. In 1834, Henry Davies noted that these "fashionable dwellinghouses" were home to several of Cheltenham's leading families. The rear elevation is remarked upon as unique in Cheltenham for its formal symmetry, and the balconies are regarded as magnificent examples of ornamental ironwork.