Numbers 13 To 47 (And Attached Area Railings

Numbers 13 to 47, Lansdown Crescent, Cheltenham, is a crescent of 35 terraced houses, now used as houses and flats, together with attached area railings. The overall design was conceived by J.B. Papworth for Pearson Thompson around 1828, and the houses were built between 1831 and 1838 by the architects R.W. and C. Jearrad, with construction continuing until 1850. The building material is ashlar facing brick, with a slate roof, ashlar end and party-wall stacks, and iron balconies and verandahs. The crescent is laid out on a convex plan, incorporating side hallways and service ranges to the rear.

The houses are three storeys high with a basement and attic, each having three windows, although number 13 is set back on the left. The ground floor features horizontal rustication, with a sill band on the second floor, a frieze and cornice above the second floor, and a low parapet with copings above the third floor. The windows are predominantly 6/6 sash windows, with taller windows to the first floor; basement windows are 8/8 sashes where original. Flights of steps lead to pairs of porches, mainly with Doric columns, architraves, friezes, cornices, and blocking courses. Within the porches are double doors with six panels and overlights, some of which are partly glazed. A panelled door in a round-arched surround is located on the left return. The rear elevation has a mix of 6/6 and 8/8 sash windows.

The balconies display a palmette and anthemion motif. The original area railings feature an X-motif. Boot scrapers are present at numbers 15, 31, and 34. Remaining features include balcony dividers and ground-floor window boxes.

The crescent's design is primarily attributed to the Jearrad brothers, although the overall concept originates from Papworth’s 1825 ‘circular plot’. A map from 1834 by H.S. Merrett shows 18 houses and indicates that construction continued up to 1850. Number 1, which represents Papworth's original design, was rebuilt in replica in 1984. The crescent forms a continuous, severe Greek Revival design in conjunction with numbers 1 to 12, and number 1, Lansdown Crescent. The convex form of the crescent means that its size and overall impression are not immediately apparent when viewed from a distance. The Lansdown Estate is considered a notable example of suburban town planning.