Details
BRISTOL
ST5773SE RICHMOND HILL, Clifton
901-1/9/985 (North side)
20/03/74 Nos.22 AND 23
Widcombe House (22), Bedford House
(23) and attached railings, walls
and piers
(Formerly Listed as:
RICHMOND HILL
(North side)
Nos.22 AND 23)
GV II
Pair of attached houses. Deeds dated 1831. By Charles Dyer.
Limestone ashlar, lateral and party wall stacks and a slate
hipped roof. Double-depth plan. Neoclassical style with Greek
Revival details. Each of 2 storeys, attic and basement;
4-window range.
A fine symmetrical pair with 4 elevations; that to the front
has a broad central pilaster, with a pedimented die over the
parapet above; outer sections broken forward with doorways 1
window in from the ends, frieze, cornice and coped attic
storey. Good open porticos with fluted Ionic columns to an
entablature and cornice, plate-glass overlights and 6-panel
doors. Architraves to windows, with a pediment to the
first-floor window over the porches, narrow outer blind
windows, to 6/6-pane sashes; 2-light plate-glass attic
casements.
The rendered return has a symmetrical 3-window range, the
middle broken forward, giant pilasters to a cornice, parapet
with blind outer balustrades and middle with flanking stacks
and balustrade between. A small porch has a segmental-arched
doorway, an overlight with glazing bars and half-glazed door;
above is a large stair window with fine glazing bars, blind
windows to the right and grilles to basement windows.
Symmetrical rear elevation has a 4-window range, the ends
broken forward with paired pilasters to a deep frieze, central
pilaster to frieze forming sunken first-floor panels.
Balustrade in 2 sections to the middle, and outer attic
storeys with flanking paired panels with pediments. Inner
shallow bays have tripartite windows with panelled heads,
tripartite windows above, architraves to outer windows;
6/6-pane sashes, and 3/3-pane attic sashes.
INTERIOR: entrance hall, a semicircular arch with Greek key
soffit to a large stair hall with a lateral open dogleg stair,
cast-iron balusters with palmettes, and a wreathed rail to
curtail; panelled reveals, panelled shutters, 6-panel doors,
cornices with guilloche, and marble fireplaces.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached cast-iron front basement area
railings with diagonal bars, and low panelled piers and walls
to the porticos; panelled, round-topped entrance piers and
squared, coursed front rubble walls extending between.
Part of a fine group of three 4-sided villas to the N side of
Richmond Hill which "..set a new standard for suburban
aspirations" (Mowl).
(Mowl T: To Build The Second City: Bristol: 1991-: 159; Gomme
A, Jenner M and Little B: Bristol, An Architectural History:
Bristol: 1979-: 275).
Listing NGR: ST5762173364
