21 Victoria Buildings, Westmoreland

21 Victoria Buildings forms part of a Grade II mid-19th century residential terrace situated within the Bath World Heritage Site and the indicative landscape setting of the Bath conservation area. It forms part of a longer stretch of Grade II early to mid-19th century terraced dwellings at 1-27 Victoria Buildings and forms a significant stretch of unbroken, two-storey terraced housing stepped down at either end within the Lower Bristol Road streetscape. Whilst the terrace remains largely homogenous in appearance, there is a varied use of boundary treatments along the roadside including coursed and ashlar stone walling, iron railings, timber fencing, and green planting which has consequently broken up the otherwise uniform appearance of the terrace within public views.

We are therefore supportive of the principle for the replacement of the existing timber fencing with iron railings in the existing dwarf stone wall which would reinstate part of the traditional appearance and character of the building’s historic boundary treatment. However, we query the absence of information such as the proposed context elevations of the site and further detailing regarding the measurements and design of the proposed railings. We note that the document ‘Elevations and Details’ refers to multiple fence designs without clarification as to which design is being proposed. We therefore strongly recommend that the case officer requests further design information and drawings to enable a full assessment of the proposed railings within the setting of a Grade II building.

Considering the current, ‘piecemeal’ approach to boundary appearance and treatment along the terrace, we feel this application could be a positive opportunity to reinstate part of the homogeneity of appearance that forms part of the special architectural and historic interest of the terrace. We suggest the proposed new railing design could draw on examples of railing types already present along the terrace.