No. 1 Royal Crescent

Last updated

No. 1 Royal Crescent
Royal Crescent, Bath 2014 09.jpg
Type Townhouse
Location Royal Crescent, Bath
Coordinates 51°23′12″N2°22′02″W / 51.3867°N 2.3672°W / 51.3867; -2.3672
Built1767–1774
Original usePrivate residence
Restored2012–2013
Current use Historic house museum
Architect John Wood, the Younger
Architectural style(s) Georgian, Palladian
Owner Bath Preservation Trust
Website no1royalcrescent.org.uk
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameNo. 1, Royal Crescent
Designated12 June 1950
Part ofNos. 1-30, Royal Crescent
Reference no.1394736 [1]
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name1A, Royal Crescent
Designated5 August 1975
Reference no.1394740 [2]
Somerset UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of No. 1 Royal Crescent in Somerset

No. 1 Royal Crescent is the first building at the eastern end of the Royal Crescent in Bath, Somerset, and is of national architectural and historic importance. It is currently the headquarters of the conservation charity, the Bath Preservation Trust, and also operates as a public "historic house" museum displaying authentic room sets, furniture, pictures and other items illustrating Georgian domestic life both 'above stairs' and 'below stairs'. The house was the subject of a major renovation project during 2012 and 2013 (The Whole Story Project) which reunited No. 1 with its original service wing at No. 1A, from which it had been separated during the 20th century.

Contents

History

The completion of the building work in 1769; No. 1 is shown at the right-end. Completion of the Royal Crescent Thomas Malton 1769.JPG
The completion of the building work in 1769; No. 1 is shown at the right-end.

No. 1 stands as the cornerstone of one of the Royal Crescent, built by John Wood, the Younger between 1767 and 1774: one of the most significant urban architectural achievements of the 18th century. No. 1 is one of the UK's most important buildings, representing the highest point of Palladian architecture in Bath. It has a symmetrical five-window front with a central Doric doorcase. [3] The first tenant was Thomas Brock in 1769 and then in 1776 Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. [4] Henry Sandford, a retired Irish Member of Parliament, was the first permanent resident and lived at the house with his family from 1777 until his death in Bath in 1796. [5]

No. 1 Royal Crescent is a historic house museum, with most of the rooms furnished to represent life in one of the great houses of 18th century Bath. It is owned and maintained by the Bath Preservation Trust through funds provided by memberships and donors to illustrate how wealthy owners of the late 18th century might have lived in such a house. [6] No. 1 was purchased in 1967 by Major Bernard Cayzer, [7] a member of the family associated with the Clan shipping line. He donated the house to the Bath Preservation Trust together with an endowment towards its restoration and furnishing. [8] During 2012 and 2013 the Trust worked to re-unite No. 1 with its original servants' wing at No. 1A Royal Crescent, part of which had once been occupied by the Victorian literary critic George Saintsbury and which had been in use as an entirely separate dwelling since the 1960s. [9]

Restoration

1A Royal Crescent is the smaller building to the right, which has been re-united with 1 Royal Crescent, and now forms part of the museum. Eastern end of Royal Crescent, Bath (geograph 3204005).jpg
1A Royal Crescent is the smaller building to the right, which has been re-united with 1 Royal Crescent, and now forms part of the museum.

During the twentieth century the lease on No. 1 Royal Crescent was split and the building was divided into two separate properties, with the original service wing to the east being sold off as No. 1A Royal Crescent. In 2006, No. 1A Royal Crescent was purchased by the Brownsword Charitable Foundation with the intention that it should be reunited with No. 1, thereby allowing Bath Preservation Trust to return the house as far as possible to its original architectural state and to extend its operation as an historic house museum with improved educational and visitor facilities and an additional dedicated exhibition space.

With further substantial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund as well as other generous private donations and grants, the major works began in January 2012. Externally, the Venetian windows on the eastern Upper Church Street facade were restored to how they would have appeared when Jane Austen and her contemporaries strolled by in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and the door to No. 1A was re-opened in its original site. Internally, the number of Georgian dressed rooms was increased from five to ten, the original kitchens were located and restored, a learning centre for school groups was created, an exhibition gallery was opened and a new shop was installed. Disabled access has been provided in the form of a lift. [10] The museum reopened to the public in June 2013 at a ceremony where Mary Berry cut the ribbon. [11]

During the project the Commonplace Books (journals/scrapbooks) of the house's first long-term resident (retired Irish MP Mr Henry Sandford) were unearthed in an Irish library, and these were used to reinterpret the house, showing his story and interests. This gives visitors a truly immersive experience of 18th century life, with a sumptuous meal laid on the dining table, the lady's and gentleman's two bedrooms set out ready for their occupants, the drawing room sparkling with mirrors, and the kitchens laid out as if the servants are busy preparing meals.

Portraits in the museum include those of Alexander Pope, Ralph Allen, Field Marshall George Wade, John Vivian of Claverton and Thomas Betterton amongst others. [12]

Bath Preservation Trust headquarters

The Bath Preservation Trust has offices on the upper floors of No. 1 Royal Crescent. [13]

Film and television appearances

No. 1 has been used as a specific location or as a backdrop for a number of films and television programmes, in addition to street scenes that have been filmed in the Royal Crescent itself.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath, Somerset</span> City in Somerset, England

Bath is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, 97 miles (156 km) west of London and 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Bristol. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and was later added to the transnational World Heritage Site known as the "Great Spa Towns of Europe" in 2021. Bath is also the largest city and settlement in Somerset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatfield House</span> Country house in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England

Hatfield House is a Grade I listed country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house, a leading example of the prodigy house, was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I. It is a prime example of Jacobean architecture. The estate includes extensive grounds and surviving parts of an earlier palace. The house is currently the home of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury. It is open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Crescent</span> Georgian crescent in Bath, Somerset

The Royal Crescent is a row of 30 terraced houses laid out in a sweeping crescent in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood, the Younger, and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a Grade I listed building. Although some changes have been made to the various interiors over the years, the Georgian stone facade remains much as it was when first built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herschel Museum of Astronomy</span> Museum in Bath, England

The Herschel Museum of Astronomy at 19 New King Street, Bath, England, is a museum that was inaugurated in 1981. It is located in a town house that was formerly the home of William Herschel and his sister Caroline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clandon Park House</span> Fire-damaged country house in West Clandon, Surrey, England

Clandon Park House is an early 18th-century grade I listed Palladian mansion in West Clandon, near Guildford in Surrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wood, the Elder</span> English architect (1704–1754)

John Wood, the Elder was an English architect, working mainly in Bath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoghton Tower</span> Grade I listed historic house museum in Lancashire, England

Hoghton Tower is a fortified manor house two-thirds of a mile (1 km) east of the village of Hoghton, Lancashire, England, and stands on a hilltop site on the highest point in the area. It takes its name from the de Hoghton family, its historical owners since at least the 12th century. The present house dates from about 1560–65.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath Assembly Rooms</span> Grade I listed building in Bath, England

The Bath Assembly Rooms, designed by John Wood the Younger in 1769, are a set of assembly rooms located in the heart of the World Heritage City of Bath in England which are now open to the public as a visitor attraction. They are designated as a Grade I listed building.

Weald and Downland Living Museum Open-air living museum

The Weald and Downland Living Museum is an open-air museum in Singleton, West Sussex. The museum is a registered charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beckford's Tower</span> Architectural folly near Bath, England

Beckford's Tower, originally known as Lansdown Tower, is an architectural folly built in neo-classical style on Lansdown Hill, just outside Bath, Somerset, England. The tower and its attached railings are designated as a Grade I listed building. Along with the adjoining Lansdown Cemetery it is Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyrham Park</span> Country house and park in Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom

Dyrham Park is a baroque English country house in an ancient deer park near the village of Dyrham in South Gloucestershire, England. The house, with the attached orangery and stable block, is a Grade I listed building, while the park is Grade II* listed on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

John Palmer was an English architect who worked on some of the notable buildings in the city of Bath, Somerset, UK. He succeeded Thomas Baldwin as City Architect in 1792. He died in Bath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath Preservation Trust</span> UK charity

The Bath Preservation Trust is a charity that is based in Bath, Somerset, England, which exists to safeguard for the public benefit the historic character and amenities of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its environs. BPT is independent, funded by public membership, grants, donations and income from four museums that it operates in Bath: No. 1 Royal Crescent, the Museum of Bath Architecture, Beckford's Tower, and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Bath Architecture</span>

The Museum of Bath Architecture in Bath, Somerset, England, occupies the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, where it provides exhibits that explain the building of the Georgian era city during the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holburne Museum</span> Art gallery in Bath, England

The Holburne Museum is located in Sydney Pleasure Gardens, Bath, Somerset, England. The city's first public art gallery, the Grade I listed building, is home to fine and decorative arts built around the collection of Sir William Holburne. Artists in the collection include Gainsborough, Guardi, Stubbs, Ramsay and Zoffany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop's Palace, Wells</span> Historic house museum in UK

The Bishop's Palace is the residence of the bishop of Bath and Wells in Wells, Somerset, England. The palace is adjacent to Wells Cathedral and has been the residence of the bishops since the early thirteenth century. It has been designated a grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade I listed buildings in Bath and North East Somerset</span>

Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority created on 1 April 1996, following the abolition of the County of Avon, which had existed since 1974. Part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset occupies an area of 220 square miles (570 km2), two-thirds of which is green belt. It stretches from the outskirts of Bristol, south into the Mendip Hills and east to the southern Cotswold Hills and Wiltshire border. The city of Bath is the principal settlement in the district, but BANES also covers Keynsham, Midsomer Norton, Radstock and the Chew Valley. The area has a population of 170,000, about half of whom live in Bath, making it 12 times more densely populated than the rest of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buildings and architecture of Bath</span> Permanent structures including significant examples of English architecture from the Roman Baths

The buildings and architecture of Bath, a city in Somerset in the south west of England, reveal significant examples of the architecture of England, from the Roman Baths, to the present day. The city became a World Heritage Site in 1987, largely because of its architectural history and the way in which the city landscape draws together public and private buildings and spaces. The many examples of Palladian architecture are purposefully integrated with the urban spaces to provide "picturesque aestheticism". In 2021, the city was added to a second World Heritage Site, a group of historic spa towns across Europe known as the "Great Spas of Europe". Bath is the only entire city in Britain to achieve World Heritage status, and is a popular tourist destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buxton Crescent</span> Grade I listed architectural structure in the United Kingdom

Buxton Crescent is a Grade-I-listed building in the town of Buxton, Derbyshire, England. It owes much to the Royal Crescent in Bath, but has been described by the Royal Institution of British Architects as "more richly decorated and altogether more complex". It was designed by the architect John Carr of York, and built for the 5th Duke of Devonshire between 1780 and 1789. In 2020, following a multi-year restoration and redevelopment project supported by the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Derbyshire County Council, The Crescent was reopened as a 5-star spa hotel.

References

  1. "Nos. 1-30, Royal Crescent". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. "1A, Royal Crescent". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  3. Historic England. "1-30 Royal Crescent (1394736)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  4. "Number One Royal Crescent". Historic Houses Association. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  5. "History".
  6. Historic England. "No 1 Royal Crescent (447275)". Images of England . Archived from the original on 19 December 2007.
  7. "No 1 Royal Crescent in Bath". City of Bath. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  8. Lowndes, William (1981). The Royal Crescent in Bath . Redcliffe Press. ISBN   978-0-905459-34-9.
  9. Historic England. "1A, Royal Crescent (1394740)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  10. "The Restoration of No1". Royal Crescent. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  11. Dance, Emma (15 June 2013). "No 1 Royal Crescent to reopen after renovation". Bath Chronicle. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  12. Art UK [ dead link ]
  13. Historic England. "No 1 Royal Crescent (443488)". Images of England . Archived from the original on 3 November 2007.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Filmography".
  15. "BATH FILM LOCATIONS - List of titles".
  16. "BBC Countryfile Christmas Special to Feature Bath". 3 December 2014.
  17. "BBC Two - Great British Railway Journeys, Series 7, Stroud to Bath".
  18. "Back to Bridgerton – 11 filming locations from the hit show". 26 January 2021.