1 York Buildings, George Street, City Centre

1 York Buildings forms part of a pair of Grade II mid-18th century terraced townhouses by John Wood the Younger, later the Royal York Hotel, situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site. 1-2 York Buildings cumulatively form a grand, 3 ½ storey frontage along George Street, with prominent visibility on the junction from the Paragon into the beginning of the city’s commercial core. They further contribute to the streetscape setting of a high concentration of Grade II mid- to late 18th century terraced buildings at Edgar Buildings and Princes Buildings, with some earlier 18th century examples by John Wood the Elder on George Street. 1 York Buildings retains a balanced and symmetrical form, albeit with some later additions such as the likely 19th century “prostyle Tuscan porches” (Historic England) over the ground floor entrances with varying column designs and corbel articulation. It retains a traditional-style boundary treatment in the form of cast iron railings with front lightwells to either side of the central entrance. 2 York Buildings is of greater architectural variance with its neighbour due to later 19th century alterations to the ground floor.

BPT is supportive of the proposed repairs following damage from a car accident. We note the damage to the historic appearance and balance of a Grade II listed building, and harm to historic fabric, including the plinth and coping stones, and commend a repair approach in a ‘like-for-like’ style with traditional methods such lead fixing. The existing railings are described as being made from cast iron, and therefore the use of cast iron for a replacement section is acceptable.