30 Royal Crescent, City Centre

The Royal Crescent a Grade I late 18th century terraced elliptical crescent by John Wood the Younger, situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site, overlooking the Grade I listed Victoria Park. The Royal Crescent is one of Bath’s most significant surviving examples of monumental grand design, intended as a key visual landmark within the city, and Georgian innovation in town planning, fundamental aspects of the OUV of the World Heritage Site. It forms part of a significant ensemble of residential Georgian set pieces to the north of the city centre, including the Grade I Circus, the Grade I St James’s Square, the Grade I Queen Square, and the Grade I Lansdown Crescent. The focus of this application is on the individually-Grade II listed railings in the immediate setting of the crescent which delineate the boundary of the private Crescent Lawn and form part of the intentional ‘parkland’ view out across the Grade II Victoria Park. The railings last underwent significant repair works in 2008, and were refurbished to be easily dismantled in panels without resulting in further material damage or loss of historic fabric.

BPT acknowledges that the temporary removal of a section of the railings to allow vehicle access to the Crescent Lawn is acceptable and would not result in harm to historic fabric. The railings would be reassembled in situ and therefore their appearance in the long-term would be unchanged.

However, we welcome further details regarding the management of vehicle activity on the site and how the adjacent railings would be protected from possible, accidental damage, such as vehicles reversing or turning. In this instance, it would be helpful to set out the proposed vehicle across the site and a possible ‘buffer’ zone along the northern extent of the Lawn to ensure adequate vehicle clearance.