Duke Street, Bath, Somerset

Nestled amid an exquisite mid-18th-century terrace, this distinguished Grade I-listed home has been sensitively restored with the help of a panel of experts from historians such as Dan Cruikshank, designers like Patrick Williams and various artisans. It is a rare survivor, one of Bath's few unmodernised or converted Georgian houses still close to its original condition. It spans more than 4,900 sq ft, with four bedrooms and four remarkable reception rooms, each filled with remarkable original features. Newer additions are all traditionally styled, creating a subtly modern and comfortable home that wears its period distinction with pride.



Setting the Scene



This arresting terrace was built in the mid-18th century as a part of John Wood the Elder’s masterplanning of Bath, the architect of Queen Square, the Circus and the Royal Crescent. Wood transformed the city, overseeing the construction of Palladian-style buildings and adopting a Roman-inspired planning model. His impact on the city, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, is immeasurable: historian Nikolaus Pevsner described him as “one of the outstanding architects of the day". This house is an important element of the mostly unrealized grand scheme by John Wood the Elder, for a "Royal Forum" to be built on the Abbey Orchard site. Duke Street, now pedestrianised was, with Pierrepont Street, originally designed to provide a connection between Grand (later North) Parade and South Parade. The South Parade was to over-look the new Royal Forum.



A thorough restoration by Bath Conservation Architects has preserved this home’s early character. It stands apart in the extent of its authenticity: almost all of the original panelling, most of the doors, and several fireplace surrounds remain in situ, which were all protected by 19th century internal linings until they were removed recently as part of the restoration. Early paintwork has been left exposed on doors and shutters, and where floorboards had become damaged with age, reclaimed ones have been added. Modern fittings and fixtures have been integrated with a sensitive hand, including a hearty Berdoulat-designed kitchen and paints from Edward Bulmer, selected with input from Bulmer himself.



The Grand Tour



Duke Street is a quiet, pedestrianised road close to the River Avon. Entry is to a grand entrance hallway, with emerald green paint up to the dado rail and trompe l'oeil-painted stone above. Towering ceilings span overhead, while original floorboards extend underfoot. From here, a glimpse of the handsome staircase that ascends through the core of the home is caught.



At the front of the ground floor is a lovely reception room, with panelled walls, shuttered sash windows and a fireplace. At the rear, a door opens to a study, or smaller living space, overlooks the rear garden. Both have original floorboards, and places where the Georgian pigments have been preserved e.g. the inside of the shutters to the front of the house.



The staircase descends to the lower ground floor, where the Berdoulat-designed kitchen is positioned. Traditional dresser-style units run along one wall, with slate worktops and Barber Mason taps, as well as a length of drying racks above two sinks. Heavy flagstone floors ground the space. Shuttered windows fitted with a seat have both been picked out in a rich, golden-yellow hue. Remains of the original kitchen line the other wall, complete with their cast-iron fireplaces and ovens.



There is a second kitchen on this floor, also by Patrick Williams at Berdoulat, and is fitted with modern appliances and another sink, set behind glazed doors. This leads through to expansive vaults at the front of the house, one of which houses the new heating system. On this floor there is also a guest WC complete with two booths.



As was traditional for homes of the period, a magnificent drawing room sits at the front of the first floor, the piano nobile. A grand space with towering ceilings and a run of three large sash windows. At the rear, a door opens in the panelling through to another panelled dining room, this time with powder-blue-painted walls and an elevated view. On one side is a neoclassical fireplace, featuring a decorative overmantel with a broken pediment.



There are two characterful bedrooms on the first floor, both with built-in storage, period fireplaces and panelled walls. The principal is painted a rich green colour and has access to a dressing room or smaller study space. Upstairs are a further two bedrooms, one with charming murals which date from the First World War. There is a shower room up here, along with a separate WC and a smart kitchenette.



The Great Outdoors



At the rear of the house is a garden, largely laid with original flagstones. Historic walls frame the space, which has plenty of room for dining outdoors, and for the green-thumbed to grow prettily planted borders.



Out and About



Bath is the only city in Britain to achieve UNESCO World Heritage status in its entirety. It has a wealth of historic sites, from the Roman Baths to the Gothic Bath Abbey, as well as wonderful contemporary sites of culture, including the Holburne, the American Museum, the Theatre Royal (one of the oldest working theatres in the country), and the ever-popular Komedia.



The city is home to an array of independent shops, bars and cafés: local favourites include Landrace, The Sickle, Wolf Wine and Colonna and Small’s. The recently reimagined Shires Yard is a few minutes’ walk away and is home to an outpost of the popular independent vegetarian restaurant Root. Bath's culinary scene is rich and varied, with the likes of Michelin-starred Olive Tree and the Bib Gourmand-recommended Beckford Bottle Shop.



There are excellent schools nearby, in both the state and independent sectors. Bath Spa rail station is a six-minute walk from the house, with regular services to London Paddington in approximately an hour and 20 minutes, while Bristol is an 11-minute journey in the opposite direction. The M4 motorway sits just on the edge of the city centre, around 10 miles away.



Council Tax Band: G