North Parade, Bath

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title: "North Parade, Bath" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["houses-completed-in-1741", "grade-i-listed-buildings-in-bath,-somerset", "streets-in-bath,-somerset", "grade-ii-listed-buildings-in-bath,-somerset"] description: "Street in Bath and North East Somerset, United Kingdom" topic_path: "general/houses-completed-in-1741" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Parade,_Bath" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Street in Bath and North East Somerset, United Kingdom ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Historic Site"]

Field	Value
name	North Parade
image	North Parade bridge.jpg
caption	North Parade bridge, showing Number 14 and the spire of St John's church.
locmapin	Somerset
coordinates
location	Bath, Somerset, England
built	1741
architect	John Wood, the Elder
architecture	Georgian
designation1	Grade I Listed Building
designation1_offname	No 14 and Delia's Grotto
designation1_date	12 June 1950
designation1_number	1395795
1395797
designation2	Grade I Listed Building
designation2_offname	Numbers 7 to 12 and North Parade House (No 12A)
designation2_date	12 June 1950
designation2_number	1395790
1395794
designation3	Grade II* Listed Building
designation3_offname	Numbers 2 to 6
designation3_date	12 June 1950
designation3_number	1395777
1395779
1395782
1395783
1395787
designation4	Grade II Listed Building
designation4_offname	Nos 1 & 1A
designation4_date	12 June 1950
designation4_number	1395750
1395755
designation5	Grade II Listed Building
designation5_offname	North Parade Bridge
designation5_date	5 August 1975
designation5_number	1395800
::

| name =North Parade | native_name = | image =North Parade bridge.jpg | caption =North Parade bridge, showing Number 14 and the spire of St John's church. | locmapin = Somerset | map_caption = | coordinates = | location =Bath, Somerset, England | area = | built =1741 | architect =John Wood, the Elder | architecture =Georgian | governing_body = | designation1 =Grade I Listed Building | designation1_offname =No 14 and Delia's Grotto | designation1_date =12 June 1950 | designation1_number =1395795 1395797 | designation2 =Grade I Listed Building | designation2_offname =Numbers 7 to 12 and North Parade House (No 12A) | designation2_date =12 June 1950 | designation2_number =1395790 1395794 | designation3 =Grade II* Listed Building | designation3_offname =Numbers 2 to 6 | designation3_date =12 June 1950 | designation3_number =1395777 1395779 1395782 1395783 1395787 | designation4 =Grade II Listed Building | designation4_offname =Nos 1 & 1A | designation4_date =12 June 1950 | designation4_number =1395750 1395755 | designation5 =Grade II Listed Building | designation5_offname =North Parade Bridge | designation5_date =5 August 1975 | designation5_number =1395800 North Parade in Bath, Somerset, England is a historic terrace built around 1741 by John Wood, the Elder. Several of the houses have been designated as Grade I listed buildings.

North Parade was part of a wider scheme to build a Royal Forum, including South Parade, Pierrepont and Duke Streets, similar to Queen Square, which was never completed. Wood designed the facade, of Bath stone, after which a variety of builders completed the work with different interiors and rear elevations. Many of the buildings are now hotels and shops whilst some remain as private residences.

The three-storey house at Number 1 was the home of John Palmer, who owned the Theatre Royal, Bath and instigator of the British system of mail coaches that was the beginning of the great British post office reforms with the introduction of an efficient mail coach delivery service in Great Britain during the late 18th century. He was Mayor of Bath on two occasions and Comptroller General of the Post Office, and later served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bath between 1801 and 1807.

Numbers 2 to 6 were converted into a hotel, which included some alterations to the fabric of the building.

Numbers 7 to 12 include a central projection and pediments over the doors. Number 9 is connected with Wordsworth and number 11 was home to Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith, of the literary Club, in 1771.

The final house, number 14, is faces the River Avon and adjoins the last house in Duke Street. It was known as Sheridan House, and later as the Gay Hotel. In the garden below the house is a little grotto dedicated to Delia.

North Parade Bridge was built almost 100 years later in 1836 by William Tierney Clark. His original bridge was made of cast iron on stone abutments, with lodges and staircases. This was rebuilt in 1936, being refaced in stone over a new reinforced concrete superstructure which replaced the two outside ribs of the original eight cast-iron arches.

The entrance to the council-run Sports and Leisure Centre on the Recreation Ground is to the east of the bridge. Further east on North Parade Road is the Bath Cricket Club Ground, and the Bath Law Courts which holds the Bath Magistrates' Court and the Bath County Court and Family Court.

Gallery

File:Nos. 7-12 North Parade, Bath.JPG|7-12 North Parade File:North Parade Bridge, pre-1936.jpg|North Parade Bridge before the 1936 rebuild, showing cast-iron arches File:Bath Law Courts, courtyard.jpg|Bath Law Courts

References

References

1. "No 14 and Delia's Grotto". English Heritage.
2. "Nos 7 to 12 (consec) & 12A". English Heritage.
3. "Bath World Heritage Site Management Plan". Bath and North East Somerset Council.
4. "Nos 1 & lA". English Heritage.
5. "Nos 2 to 6 (consec)". English Heritage.
6. "North Parade Bridge including lodges". English Heritage.
7. Buchanan, R. Angus. "The Bridges of Bath". Bath Spa University.
8. "Bath Magistrates' Court". gov.uk.
9. "Bath County Court and Family Court". gov.uk.

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