| Royal
Crescent History
Before
we delve into the history of the Crescent we
must first ask, "Is it 'The Royal
Crescent' or just 'Royal Crescent'? Click
here to read an interesting and maybe
conclusive article from the Society's archived
newsletters.
“As with much of Bath’s development during
the 18th Century, the Royal Crescent was a
speculative, entrepreneurial and commercial
venture, which produced a masterpiece of
architecture and urban design.
After his father died, John Wood the Younger
wanted, as an architect, to continue his
father’s unfinished legacy in terms of grand
design, the now fashionable Palladian style and
Masonic symbolism. As an entrepreneur, he wanted
also to emulate his father in successfully
catering not only to the nobility, but also to
the newly emerging middle class. This was a new
social group of people who, though mostly
lacking the highest status or title were
sufficiently affluent to have no need to work
with their hands and to be able to indulge their
increasing desire to enjoy the lifestyle of
their social superiors. They may not have always
been able to afford the fine country mansions
with large grounds, but they could afford and
sought fairly large town-houses in fashionable
cities like Bath when they were presented, as
the Woods and others so cleverly did, as
palaces, or grand terraces. This concept is
evident all over Bath. John Wood the Elder’s
North side of Queen Square, Milsom Street,
Kensington Place, St.James’ Square and other
streets display the trick beautifully. Most have
a pediment over the central house or houses,
which, as well as the two end houses, is set
slightly forward – giving the impression of a
sort of vestigial Blenheim.
The grandest of all the “palaces” is the
Royal Crescent. Its huge and magnificent sweep,
the rhythm of its giant Ionic columns and its
regular fenestration create a unique and
unforgettable impression of grandeur. Some have
criticised the lack of significant central
emphasis, but others agree that Wood’s very
restraint at that point serves only to emphasise
the strength of his concept, which needed no
major adornment.
Building began in 1767 and was completed by
1775. Purchasers of the house-plot leases had to
conform to Wood’s exterior design, which also
dictated the principal floor-levels, but were
free to lay out the interiors as they wished.
The result is that no two houses are the same.
Stairs are arranged straight up or around square
or elliptical wells, roofs contain one or two
floors and are plain or incorporate glass domes
over the stair well, plaster wall and ceiling
decoration is prolific or modest. One common
feature is that the principal reception room is
at the front of the first floor - the ‘piano
nobile’; These feature the best marble
fireplaces, the best decoration and the finest
cornices and plasterwork. The other common
feature is that the basement level was devoted
to cooking and domestic facilities. Two houses
with fine interiors open to the public are the
Museum at No.1 (click here) and the
Royal Crescent Hotel (click here).
Originally some of the houses were let out
for the Season – to socially acceptable people
only – by the floor or house. Visitors would
sometimes arrive with their whole household,
including furniture, linen, carpets and all the
necessities of home. Other houses were occupied
by one family permanently. Servants did not
always live in.
Today eight houses are each occupied by one
family (though two of those make one unit!). One
house, No.1 is the Bath Preservation Trust
Museum, the central two houses form the nucleus
of the Royal Crescent Hotel and one house, is
owned by the Council. The remainder are divided
into flats, ranging in size from pieds à terres
to those embracing two floors vertically or
horizontally. Most houses are three windows
wide, but three extend across four windows –
making those principal reception rooms some 36
ft long by 20 – 25ft deep!
Much more detail and photographs can be found
in the books in the
Bibliography on this site under Picture Gallery
and References.
Who
lived here?
Click
here to read a portrait from the Census return
of 1891 taken from the Society's archived
newsletters
Click here to read
about some famous old residents
Society Archive
The
following articles are from the Royal Crescent
Society's archived newsletters. Please click on
them to read these fascinating insights to
Crescent and Bath Life past:
We would also recomend that you click here to
read about our achievements as a Society and
especially the famous 18 year battle and
victory over the Talking Topless Buses.
The
following articles are also from the Royal Crescent
Societies archived newsletters. Please click on
them to read about the history of the Lawn, Ha-ha
and railings:
The
copyright on all the above documents is held
by the Royal Crescent Society and all rights
are reserved
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