Kingsmead Square in Bath,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England was laid out by

John Strahan John Strahan was an architect working in Bristol and Bath, England in the early 18th century. He died around 1740. List of works * Shakespeare Public House, Bristol (1725) * Combe Hay Manor Combe Hay 1728 to 1730 * Frampton Court, Frampton-on-Se ...

in the 1730s. Many of the houses are

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

History

The square was originally the junction of a number of routes entering the West Gate of the medieval city. In 1727 John Strahan started a large scale Georgian expansion in this area of pasture owned by St John's Hospital. The West Gate was demolished in the 1760s, enlarging the road junction. In 1902 the square became part of a Bath Tramways route. In 1925 a street widening scheme to tackle traffic congestion established the modern street lines of the square. During and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

the square became run down. In the mid-1970s the south terrace was restored, saving it from demolition, and starting a revival of the area. In the 1990s, investment in street furniture and on the square, further revived the square, making it an attractive location for cafés. In September 2018

Bath and North East Somerset Council Bath and North East Somerset Council is the local council for the district of Bath and North East Somerset in Somerset, England. It is a unitary authority, with the powers and functions of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined ...

initiated an informal consultation on a proposal to partially pedestrianise the square.

Buildings

Number 12, 13 and 14 is made up of Rosewell House, which forms one building with Numbers 1 and 2 Kingsmead Street. The house is named after T. Rosewell, who commissioned it from Strahan and whose sign, a rose and a well, can be seen on the baroque facade with the date 1736. It is a three-storey building with a mansard roof. The ground floor has been changed to include shop fronts, but a detached Ionic porch can still be seen. Dr

Joseph Butler Joseph Butler (18 May O.S. 1692 – 16 June O.S. 1752) was an English Anglican bishop, theologian, apologist, and philosopher, born in Wantage in the English county of Berkshire (now in Oxfordshire). He is known for critiques of Deism, Thom ...

, the

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

and a

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

apologist Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...

, and philosopher died at Rosewell House in 1752. Originally, Rosewell House was situated at the end of a rank of houses, but the neighbouring 11, 12 and 13 Kingsmead Square were demolished to construct New Street on a diagonal alignment out of the square to provide better access to the new Bath Green Park railway station. At the centre of the square is a large

London Plane London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

tree, about 20 metres tall. The square has full public access, with a ground surface of concrete slabs and cobbles.

References

Grade I listed buildings in Bath, Somerset Streets in Bath, Somerset Grade II listed buildings in Bath, Somerset {{UK-listed-building-stub

History

Buildings

See also

References