Sydney Place, Bath, BA2

Providing elegant accommodation on a grand scale, this magnificent house has truly outstanding principal rooms of majestic proportions and a rare wealth of exquisite surviving period detail.
Built in 1808–09, this was the last great Georgian terrace to be built in Bath and was intended to be, and arguably remains, its grandest. Originally known as New Sydney Place, this terrace of 11 palatial townhouses is universally regarded as John Pinch the Elder’s masterpiece. The terrace was originally home to royalty and nobility, including Queen Charlotte and The Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV), drawn not only by the grandeur of its rooms of unparalleled height and proportions, but by their elegant, novel, modern design which was then the very height of fashion.
The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, in its official Grade I listing of 101 Sydney Place as a building “of exceptional interest” (the highest designation), states that the terrace “is regarded as John Pinch's finest creation: it is the first appearance of his distinctive ramped horizontal detailing, and the inclusion of very tall windows and an architecturally treated attic floor is also noteworthy. The quality of the ashlar fronts was particularly admired, with the courses of masonry being raised sequentially in order to create as harmonious and even a tone as possible.”
The architectural historian Walter Ison remarked that New Sydney Place is “a specimen of the architectural perfection that may be formed of Bath stone. It was all brought from one quarry, and the houses raised gradually together, tier after tier, thereby forming one compact building in which not the least flaw or settlement, or different shades of colour can be seen.”
The first occupant of 101 Sydney Place is believed to have been the 3rd Earl of Darlington, later the 1st Duke of Cleveland. Freeholder of the entire terrace, he also owned Pulteney Bridge and virtually all of Georgian Bath east of the Avon, including Laura Place, Great Pulteney Street and Sydney Gardens. It was subsequently the residence of Viscount Duncan, 2nd Earl of Camperdown, distinguished surgeon John Smith Soden, a founding member of both the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Surgeons, then later, for many years was the home of a leading 19th Century Bath industrialist and entrepreneur before being purchased by an heiress. It last changed hands in 1998.
There are so many truly beautiful and distinctive architectural features of the property to delight the eye at every turn. It is the ultimate find for the discerning purchaser looking for an authentic, well-preserved George III townhouse with a rich history and wealth of interior architectural delights.
The current owners completed the restoration of the house just over 25 years ago with a light and carefully considered touch, keeping the preservation of the historic detail and heritage of the building uppermost while the house was thoughtfully equipped to meet the requirements of 21st Century family living.
There is a good balance of accommodation and outside space; the generously proportioned interior is complemented by a mature, beautifully landscaped south-facing walled rear garden.
There is versatility either to entertain formally on a grand scale, or to enjoy informal kitchen suppers in the well designed and equipped, handmade and hand painted, solid hardwood and granite kitchen/breakfast room, which overlooks the walled rear garden.
The gorgeous five-flight, cantilevered, 'floating’ stone staircase with its original, minimalist post-Robert Adam ‘stick’ balusters and sweeping, fine mahogany handrail with inlaid ebony stringing is visually stunning as it ascends from the bright central hall.
The two principal ground-floor rooms are exquisite spaces. What is now the high-ceilinged formal dining room was originally the Breakfast Room and “Morning Room” where visitors would have been received two centuries ago. It overlooks the leafy walled garden, and is separated by wide double-doors from the adjoining reception room, serving the present owners as the family sitting room.
With its high arched windows, this room of palatial proportions was originally intended for dinner parties seating thirty or more guests, as can be seen both from the original 1808 floor plan and from the beautiful grey and white marble fire surround with its telltale motif of grapes and vine leaves carved in high relief in the corners.
The cornicing and ceiling roses of these two principal ground floor rooms include some of John Pinch’s most distinctive and innovative interior architectural design, not seen elsewhere in the terrace. Based around Pinch’s geometrically arranged Amerindian theme of arrowheads (also echoing a mediaeval motif) and feathers (alternated between more classical acanthus leaves) and combining classical and romantic elements, his unfussy design with its refreshingly clean, modern lines appeals to 21st Century tastes.
Unsurprisingly, the ‘star performers’ of the house, however, are the two majestic rooms comprising the whole of the first floor or ‘piano nobile’. The visual impact of the space in the grand drawing room has to be seen to be appreciated. Three full-height Georgian sash windows extend down to the floor, each with its own semicircular wrought-iron balcony, overlooking the Palladian-style Holburne Museum of Art and the Grade II Listed Georgian pleasure gardens.
Behind the drawing room is a remarkable, beautifully detailed, panelled, galleried library, with a higher ceiling still. This pair of rooms highlights this as a property of unparalleled beauty and character.
The two large, high-ceilinged principal bedrooms are on the second floor. The front bedroom suite with its pair of wide, high bedroom windows offers dramatic views of the Holburne Museum and across Sydney Gardens, and has an en-suite naturally-lit dressing room and bathroom, while the capacious guest bedroom with its elegant fireplace and large en-suite bathroom enjoys dramatic views over the garden and St Mary’s church immediately beyond.
The four, third-floor bedrooms, with full-height ceilings, delightful original fireplaces and two bathrooms, are currently arranged so that two of the rooms are adjoined to create a “nanny suite” with en-suite bathroom, though the current occupants used the large adjoining bedroom as a playroom (later a computer/study room).
On the ground floor there is also a well-designed utility/laundry room adjacent to the kitchen, and an elegant, skylit cloakroom built in 1808 as one of the very first indoor privies in England.
Upstairs, on the mezzanine between the two floors of bedrooms, there is a small study with a fine view of Pinch's neo-Gothic church tower.
This is a home which will appeal both to the architectural purist and enthusiast, and to a buyer who seeks practicality in a family home, with the flexibility to accommodate and entertain extended family and friends, clients and colleagues. It will appeal to those seeking both a well-equipped, centrally located and comfortable family home, which thanks to the thick, ashlar stone construction and well-planned central heating, is cool in summer and warm in winter, as well as a property with exceptional architectural merit and historic significance benefitting from splendid, green, historic views from every window and with rich interior Georgian detail.

Outside

The walled private garden to the rear is large for a townhouse garden, measuring some 90 feet in length. The meticulously landscaped garden provides an area of lawn, beautifully planted herbaceous borders, a wealth of wisteria blossoming in spring, a mature, fruiting fig tree, yew trees and a rear ‘secret garden’, with the location of the garden shed cleverly out of sight. There is a large stone-paved terrace leading directly from the kitchen that is ideal for outdoor dining or cocktails before dinner.
The dominant garden views of the bucolic, neo-gothic St Mary’s Church (also designed by John Pinch the Elder) rising dramatically immediately to the rear of the garden, and the home’s central views of the Holburne Museum of Art to the front of the house, provide what are among the most beautiful city prospects to be enjoyed by any single townhouse in Bath.

Situation

This home is ideally situated. It is across the street from Sydney Gardens, overlooking The Holburne Museum with its large, airy, indoor and outdoor café, popular year round.
If you cross over the road or turn right out of the house, there is the strong sense of being in the countryside. A five minute walk from 101 takes you to idyllic strolls along the towpath of the Kennet and Avon Canal, the extensive National Trust countryside and gradually ascending hilltop views over the whole city of Bath, continuing from there to charming woodland walks and the Bath Skyline Walk circumambulating the whole of this beautiful, ancient, UNESCO-designated World Heritage City.
On the other hand, if you turn left out of the house, you have the most beautiful, level, ten-minute city stroll into the centre of Bath, down the full length of Great Pulteney Street and over Robert Adam’s world-renowned, 18th Century shop-lined Pulteney Bridge with its cafés and boutiques, leading right into the heart of town.
All of Bath’s excellent shopping, cultural and leisure facilities, including three cinemas, a Royal Theatre, and a selection of fine delicatessens, restaurants and artisanal coffee shops, upscale boutiques, fine dining, cafés, clubs, pubs and cocktail bars are on your doorstep, as are spas and gyms, yoga and pilates, Waitrose and M&S Food Hall. For rugby fans, “The Rec”, home to Bath Rugby, is also within easy walking distance.
There is good access to major transport links with Bath Spa railway station 0.8 miles away, providing a fast and frequent route to London Paddington. Travelling in the other direction, Bristol Temple Meads is only eleven minutes away by train. Bristol Airport, the A4, M4, A36 and the villages and towns of the South Cotswolds are also easily accessible by car.
Excellent schooling is close by, the nearest being King Edwards School, Bathwick St Mary’s Primary School, The Paragon and Prior Park College.
Sydney Gardens opposite has recently been undergoing a major refurbishment from a lottery grant to restore it to its original layout as one of the few surviving Georgian pleasure gardens in England, as well as improving the tennis courts and adventure playground along with the beautiful grounds themselves.
Nearby Henrietta Park is a historic seven-acre park and miniature arboretum with a fascinating variety of rare and ancient trees, yet another peaceful and enchanting place to stretch your legs less than five minutes’ walk from the front door.

Additional Information

Services
Mains water and electricity, gas fired central heating and mains drainage. There is ample Residents Parking and parking for residents’ visitors.