chapter seven

Chapter 7 A Tour of Weymouth's Georgian Seafront - 1800 to 1815
Royal Crescent was first muted in 1792 when a Corporation order was made that ".....leases for one hundred years be granted to Messrs Gear, Isaac and Hamilton of land two hundred and forty feet long and one hundred and fifty feet deep ...they are to build twelve houses thereon in which no business or trade be carried on". The Crescent was not started until after 1800. A Corporation minute also records that "....in 1797 a "Mr. W. Isaac was about to build on Melcombe Narrows, north of Gloucester Row." In August 1801 leases of the first twelve lots of buildings on Melcome Narrows were allowed, and a Mr. Bushrod was paid for building 163 feet of Esplanade Wall, and filling in the ground behind it.
On the 1^st March 1802 there was an "Application by Lessees of land granted for the intended row of buildings to be called the Crescent, for liberty to embank the ground and carry out the wall 30 feet further westward into the Backwater beyond their present grants at their own expense such further embankment to be laid open for a public way or street. Such liberty granted so as they complete the wall and embankment ....also to commence and carry on the same in a right line from the former grant to the Lessees of the buildings in Gloucester Row". In 1806 another Corporation minute stated that "It appearing that William Isaac in building his houses in the Crescent 1, 2, 12 and 13 has exceeded the extent of land granted to him by several feet without leave, the Town Clerk to prosecute unless £40 is paid...". Building was obviously underway in 1806.
Original plans showed a slight curve to the intended terrace of forty nine houses, but it was finally built as a straight terrace of fifteen houses of three storeys with semi-basements and mansard attics; the walls are rendered in stucco. The front elevation is similar to Gloucester Row Nos 7 to 14 but with taller second floor windows - an object lesson in the use of simple design elements.
		It is clear that that James Hamilton joined forces with other local businessmen to purchase the lease of the land on which the Royal Crescent was to be built. It seems reasonable to assume that Hamilton was the architect for the complete terrace and that the plans were approved by the Corporation. The builder was presumably Mr. Issac, who obviously built beyond the boundaries of the leased land. The similarity in some respects to the adjacent Gloucester Row Nos 7 to 14 (built 1790) suggests that Hamilton may also have designed that terrace. There seems little similarity with the slightly earlier Gloucester Row Nos 1 to 4, which Hamilton designed. The walls of Royal Crescent are rusticated in the lower storey and plain stucco above; they are divided by a plat-band at second-floor sill level and have a moulded cornice and parapet; there is a tiled mansard roof with dormers; there is a light stone balcony with an iron balustrade in front of the first-floor windows it runs the full length of the terrace and unifies the whole. The front doors are recessed beneath semicircular arched heads in two orders, one rusticated, one plain, flanked on the left by two windows and with three plain hung-sash windows to the upper floors. The plan of each floor comprised two rooms, the principal room at the front and a second room and the staircase at the rear. The terrace has been considerably altered including replacement balustrades and removed balconies, the lowering of the parapet in places and a variety of new dormers. All the windows have lost their glazing bars and two fanlights have glazing bars of different designs. Two shop fronts have been inserted and one house has received a bay window.
The Esplanade was an essential part of the expansion of the town because it was there that the Royal family and the wealthy visitors and new residents went for their perambulations to take in the sea air and the magnificent views across the bay - as well as conducting a considerable amount of socialising. A basic Esplanade was already in existence by the 1770’s at the back of the town but with the building of the new terraces facing the bay there came the need to extend and improve the Esplanade. In 1800 James Hamilton and Robert Vining were employed by the Corporation to build an extension to the Esplanade. Over the years many different builders were also engaged as it was extended towards the narrows. Unfortunately it was always being damaged by storms and there are several instances recorded in the Corporation records where the Esplanade had to be repaired and there are two commemorative stones incorporated into the wall opposite what used to be Harvey's Assembly Rooms. They are inscribed "esplanade destroyed by tempest Nov. 23 1824" and "Rebuilt by T. Vining builder April 23 1825". Nowadays the Esplanade along with the Georgian seafront hotels and the fine sandy beach are an integral part of Weymouth's attractions for tourists.
The terraces of Pulteney and Devonshire Buildings at the harbour end of the Esplanade were built on land reclaimed from the sea. They are set at a shallow angle to each other and Devonshire Buildings is slightly concave. The architect is not known. Pulteney Buildings is a terrace of six houses attached to the west end of Devonshire Buildings but facing north west. It was built in 1805. The houses are three storey with attic and basements, each two windows wide. The tiled mansard roof has flat roofed dormers. The windows have splayed painted lintels and stone cills. Each house has a two storey flat oriel bow. The doorways are arched in two orders over a six panel door with plain fanlight. There is a stone cornice with bold cyma mould, blocking course and parapet. The terrace is of similar design and construction to Devonshire Buildings and the two, practically unaltered since being built, make a worthy starting point for Weymouth's long Esplanade. An obvious addition at the west end is the terrace of three houses built c1850. They are three storey with three-cornered bays and stucco finish.
		The terrace of six houses that forms Devonshire Buildings was built in 1805 with Flemish bond brickwork and slate mansard roofs. It is finished with a full height rounded bow that in 1819 replaced the original house so that it matched in many ways the roundhouses at the King’s Statue and Brunswick Terrace at the other end of the Esplanade. The terrace has double fronted houses at either end, with singles between. They are three storey with attic and basement and fourteen flat roofed dormers. Each house has 9-pane sash windows at second floor, the sashes have splayed painted lintels. The two-storey bow windows have a fine dentil cornice at the top only. There is a moulded cornice with rendered blocking course and stone parapet. There are six 6-panel doors under plain fanlights in a brick arch reveal in two orders. At the west end adjoining Pulteney buildings there is a one bay return with blind opening, that to the ground floor being arched.
Sir William Pulteney was involved in the initial development of Johnstone Row, which is terminated at the King's Statue end by Statue House. In 1796 he was granted a lease of ground at the north end of York Buildings. In 1800 he was also granted a lease for five hundred years at £5 per annum of land between "the roads leading to St. Mary and St Thomas Street". At the time there was a stipulation that no building was to be erected on the land but this must have been overcome in some way. In 1802 a plan was produced by Sir William Pulteney for "....altering the form of the entrance into St. Mary and St. Thomas Street at the northern extremities thereof, by taking ground from the street in some places and by giving up ground to the street in other parts which Sir William Pulteney, upon having the necessary grant is willing to carry into execution".
		The Corporation resolved "…that as the said plan will be very instrumental to the entrance of the said streets the same be approved and carried into effect". This must have referred to a proposal to add the rounded houses to the ends of the terraces of Johnstone Row and Coburgh Place. Johnstone Row was actually built between 1810 to 1811 and is a terrace of six houses. The rounded Statue House was added to the end of the terrace in 1815 at the same time as its "twin" was added to the adjacent Coburgh Place. The houses of Johnstone Row, which may have been designed by Hamilton, are three storey with attic and basement. All have a continuous moulded cornice through the oriels, blocking course and coped parapet.
Some of the houses still retain some of the original features such as the bow windows but generally what was once a delightful terrace has been ruined by the introduction of commercial shop fronts. The walls are rendered in stucco. Many of the ground floor rooms have been altered for commercial usage. Where they have not been altered, the houses have a front door recessed beneath a semicircular-arched head of two orders, above which are two hung-sash windows, one to each floor. To the right of the doorway is a three storey bay window. The internal layout provides for two principal rooms to each floor with a staircase between. Some original fireplaces and moulded cornices still remain .
		At the end of Johnstone Row stands the rounded Statue House. It was once a pair of houses and was built around 1815. It matches the rounded house of the adjacent Coburgh Place and together with the King's Statue they makes an impressive entrance to the town centre shopping area. Much of the architectural detail has been copied from the houses in Johnstone Row. The architect is not known. The bold rounded end of Statue House is slightly set back from the Esplanade terrace. The curved mansard roof has two flat-roofed dormers. The walls are rendered in stucco and the whole is largely unaltered from when it was built almost 200 years ago. It has a central entrance doorway on the north side flanked by bowed shop windows with a frieze and moulded cornice above and with two-storey bow windows on the upper floors. There is a central entrance hall and staircase with quadrant shaped rooms either side. Coburgh Place is of very similar design but unfortunately the early shop front has been replaced by a far less sympathetic commercial façade that robs the building of its original classic appeal.
Bank Buildings, next to Pulteney Building, is named after Bank House and it was built as a group around 1814. Bank House was once the home of the Weymouth and Dorsetshire Bank. It became the Marine Hotel and more recently the Edward Hotel. Nowadays it is private apartments. It was very heavily modified at the end of the 20^th C and the roof has been replaced by a pyramid like structure which matches the Chapel at the other end of the terrace. Only Bedford House, immediately adjacent to Bank House, is still in its original form, with three storeys, cellars and mansard attic with flat roofed dormers. In the centre of the front elevation is a three-storey flat bow window with plain sashes and dentil cornice to the top level, with a plain window to the left at first and second floors. Over a six panel door with plain fanlight on stone steps, in an arched opening with deep reveals. The basement area has a flight of stone steps and is enclosed by wooden railings. There is a moulded cornice blocking course and parapet. The interior has a dog-leg stair with stick balustrades and turned newels straight through and elliptical-headed opening in the lobby.
The Baptist Chapel at the opposite end of the short terrace was built in 1813 - 14 by George Welsford as a pair of houses and was enlarged with galleries in 1818. At the time of building the Corporation insisted that the front of the building should look like two normal house fronts to retain the symmetry of the terrace. However, in 1859 it was re-fronted completely and the schoolroom was added. It is rendered, with a slate roof and is a plain two storey block. The front has an imposing central pedimented section with giant Doric half-columns in antis, flanked by single outer bays with square Doric pilasters. The central arched doorway has moulded architraves on imposts over a pair of two panel doors with double radial fanlight on five stone steps. To each side are casements at two levels in moulded architraves with keystones ears and flared feet.