13 Dunsford Place, Bathwick

13 Dunsford Place forms part of a Grade II late Georgian stepped terrace situated on Bathwick Hill, within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site. 13 Dunsford Place is one of the few examples of Victorian glazing present in a terrace which otherwise maintains a traditional 6-over-6 sash window fenestration.

With regards to the proposed reinstatement of a typically Georgian window profile, the Trust feels that this would significantly improve the appearance of a listed building, and the overall homogeneity of appearance which underlies the group value of the terrace.

However, we must emphasise that the suitability of the window replacement must also be assessed according to the potential loss of historic fabric, particularly glazing, which is quickly becoming a rare feature of interest within historic buildings. The Heritage Statement notes that 13 Dunsford Place’s original windows have been replaced with “Victorian plate glass sashes”; there is no specification of later modern replacements in a Victorian design, therefore leading us to believe that the existing glazing is 19th century in age and consequently constituting historic fabric.

Whilst we appreciate that the existing windows are not contemporary to the original construction and design of 13 Dunsford Place and its associated terraced setting, should they be Victorian we would stress that that the existing windows are protected under the building’s Grade II designation due to their pre-1948 installation, and their evidential value regarding the material narrative of change visible within the property’s façade. Their removal and replacement would therefore constitute direct harm to historic fabric.

The Trust would therefore strongly recommend that the age of the existing windows are clarified before this application progresses further. Should the windows be Victorian in origin, we maintain that their removal would result in less than substantial harm to the significance of a listed building which we do not feel has been suitably mitigated or appreciated, contrary to the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 16 of the NPPF, and Policies B1,BD1, and HE1 of the Core Strategy and Placemaking Plan. We would recommend that the age of the windows is clarified as part of the application before it is withdrawn or refused.