Benchmark - No.1 Manvers Street - Bath, Somerset - European Historic Survey Stones, Monuments and Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

A cut benchmark on the corner of No 1 Manvers Street, Bath.

"House, now bank, in the Greek Revival style. c1845. Possibly by Henry Underwood .
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, roof not visible from street, rear extension has Welsh slate roof.
PLAN: Imposing double depth corner block, with fronts to Manvers Street and to Henry Street, single storey extension to rear along Henry Street.
EXTERIOR: Three storeys, with full attic and basement. Manvers Street elevation is three bays divided by Tuscan pilasters, central bay double width of outer ones. Order stands forward of main building plane. Ground floor has left hand arched panelled door, central tripartite sash, right hand single sash, windows are late C19 plate glass plain sashes. Cast iron area railings, basement features destroyed by bank security. Giant order through first and second floors. Sash windows in architraves, triple light to centre on each floor. First floor central window has French windows opening onto balconette with pierced parapet, and cornice hood on brackets. Outer windows on first floor are plain sashes, above all windows are six/six sashes. Heavy cornice, pilasters rise through attic and onto parapet. Ashlar stack with pots to left. Henry Street elevation has paired pilasters at sides, but none in centre. Three equally spaced windows, except ground floor where central one has been replaced by automatic till. Cast iron area railings broken in centre. Ground floor windows are sashes in architraves, plain plate glass. First floor windows are tall French window with cornice heads and balconettes with pierced parapets. Upper floor windows have architraves and six/six sashes. Heavy cornice with pilasters rising to parapet coping as on Manvers Street front. Single storey extension on Henry Street with three round headed windows in shallow recesses, Welsh slate roof visible behind parapet.
INTERIOR: Inspected 1973, stone flagged entrance hall, a pair of five-leaf tall single panel shutters for triple window, stone stairs with cast iron ornamented balusters, two per tread.
HISTORY: Part of Manvers Estate, this particular part of development got no further than 1 and 2. It was intended to be the West range of Kingston Square. Severe Greek Revival town houses of this date are rare in Bath, but much commoner in Bristol and Cheltenham. The architect Henry Underwood is known to have designed adjacent and contemporary New Church in Henry Street (qv). His practice was also nearby in Pierrepont Street, and hence a tenant of Manvers Estate; he may also have been their Surveyor and hence had a hand in this prominent building."

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