Physical Influences
Geology
7.8.1
The largest part of the area south of Monmouth Place, Monmouth
Street and Westgate Buildings is alluvial river deposits. The
southern boundary of the old city was at the edge of this deposit
and the lower gravel terrace, which is again a river deposition
feature. The upper part of the city centre including the majority
of the historic core is built upon Lower Lias Clays.
Landform and Drainage Pattern
7.8.2
The city centre lies upon a broad but shallow ridge that runs
approximately north west to south east. The slopes run down to the
river on either side.
7.8.3
There are no natural open water features in the area although the
River Avon forms the southern and eastern boundary of the area.
Land Use and Buildings
Land Use
7.8.4
There is naturally a broad range of land uses in the area due to
the complexity of socio-economic and historical factors. They
include commercial, residential, business, administrative, civic,
transport, religious, leisure and recreational. Walcot Street is a
distinctive sub-area of the city centre on account of the diverse
range of workshop and specialist uses.
Building Form and Heights
7.8.5
The central shopping area is largely intact with much celebrated
C18 buildings. This area has a built form that is a fairly
consistent height of three to four storeys; however there are some
buildings that are five storeys or more. Section 6.4.4 highlights
the harm that taller C20 buildings mostly located in the city
centre have caused to the skyline and roofscape of the city.
7.8.6
The building form also varies quite considerably across the area
due to historical factors, not least of which was the extensive
bombing of the city in the Second World War. This created a
patchwork of bomb sites, some of these were repaired or restored
but many changed to completely new uses.
7.8.7
Generally the more modern buildings are larger in plan and height
and tend to be on larger plots with more space. Consequently they
contrast strongly with the historic fabric.
Building Age
7.8.8
There is a wide range of building age within this central area. The
oldest are the remains of the Roman Baths themselves though these
are largely invisible from the street. More prominent is the
mediaeval Abbey Church. Some earlier buildings have been re-fronted
in later periods. The city centre also has two areas of surviving
mediaeval city walls at Upper Borough Walls and the East Gate to
the rear of the Guildhall.
7.8.9
It is however the C18 buildings for which Bath is most famous – the
familiar refined buildings of Bath stone and slate roofs. These are
found around the historic core and form the main shopping area.
Lines of C18 buildings run westwards along New King Street.
7.8.10
There are many modern buildings and their location corresponds
strongly with bomb sites from the Second World War.
Materials and Architectural Details
7.8.11
The predominant building materials are Bath stone and Welsh slate.
This is surprisingly consistent despite the great range in size and
age of the buildings. Clearly the details vary considerably
according to the style of the buildings, the modern ones echoing
the cleaner lines of their C18 predecessors with greater decoration
and ornamentation on the occasional rococo and C19 buildings.
7.8.12
Shopfronts are a significant feature of this area. There is an
excellent range of historic and modern shop fronts which contribute
to the vitality and character of the city centre.
Streets and Civic Spaces
Street Pattern
7.8.13
The street pattern of the historic core follows the old city walls
and the streets that were laid out in mediaeval times. They are
straight and run close together creating a regular (though not grid
like) and close pattern. Outside of the core the street pattern is
more varied following early roads into Bath and the later additions
such as Green Park Road. In between the main routes are more random
roads servicing infill developments.
Density and Degree of Enclosure
7.8.14
Clearly the density of the town centre is high. There is a high
degree of enclosure as the buildings of the historic core are close
together and three to four storeys high. In more modern areas the
enclosure is also high as despite the buildings being further
apart, they are correspondingly higher. There are places of an open
nature, mainly parks or urban squares but these are few and the
overall character is quite enclosed. In spite of the strong sense
of enclosure by buildings, rural hills or the wooded slopes of
Beechen Cliff are frequently a focal point of views along streets.
These are created by the straight nature of the streets and the
gently sloping topography.
Vitality and Tranquillity
7.8.15
The town centre is a busy and bustling place. This quality of the
historic core and the nature of Bath as a place of recreation has
always attracted people here and the shopping is famous. In
addition the University brings in many young people and frequent
bars and clubs serve their needs. There are a few places where a
tranquillity of sorts is found, around the edges near the river or
some of the private gardens. On the edges of the area, traffic
movements and noise is a significant issue.
7.8.16
Walcot Street has a distinctive artisan character which stems from
the diverse mix of uses.
Materials
7.8.17
The predominant materials are tarmac and concrete yet there are
significant areas of more traditional materials such as stone
paving and kerbs. There are even a few cobbled streets such as Trim
Street. In those cases where traditional natural paving and setts
are found they are an important feature of the street scene and
enhance the character of the area.
Influence of Vegetation and Open Space
Trees and Shrubs
7.8.18
Within the city central shopping area the impact of vegetation is
small but a few trees have great localised impact. Single trees
dominate small squares such as Kingsmead Square and Abbey
Green.
Open Space
7.8.19
Small green squares and private gardens do exist but their impact
is localised such as in Chapel Court, Beauford Square and the
closed burial ground by the former St James’s Memorial Hall. Larger
open spaces further from the centre have a correspondingly bigger
impact (Norfolk Crescent lawn and Green Park lawn).
7.8.20
Parade Gardens and the open spaces around the Abbey are a clear
exception as they are close to the city centre but are large and
have a big impact upon the openness of the area and its visual
permeability.
Features, Landmarks and Views
7.8.21
The Abbey is the most prominent landmark as it is clearly seen from
a wide range of view points within the area and around the wider
city.
7.8.22
Within the area other landmarks include St Michael’s Church, St
John’s Church, Empire Hotel, Norfolk Crescent, Green Park and Green
Park Station and the new Bath Spa building.
7.8.23
The towering retaining wall of the Paragon is a key feature of the
Walcot Street area.
7.8.24
Whilst the river is outside this character area it influences the
area by forming its south/east boundary. The river at
Pulteney Weir and Pulteney Bridge is a stunning scene viewed
against a dramatic backdrop of historic buildings rising up the
slopes to a treed skyline.
7.8.25
The tight grain of the old centre of the city does not allow for
frequent views between spaces and trees. There are fine views down
Southgate to Beechen Cliff and from Orange Grove to Bath’s wooded
skyline. These views connect the city with the surrounding
hillsides. Further out the views are more expansive because
buildings have a looser relationship to the street.
Cultural Influences
7.8.26
The significance of Bath as a cultural influence is huge because of
its reputation as a C18 playground place of resort and the
magnificence of the design of the city that arose from this status.
It is seen first and foremost as the great example of C18 building
and city design. The existence of Bath’s Hot Springs has attracted
people here for thousands of years and it has been a place of
recreation and tourism since Roman times.
Historic Uses
7.8.27
Historically the core of the town was within the city walls and so
all the uses of a city were found here. The Hot Springs and spa
were the very centre of Bath as a place of resort. As the city grew
many uses relocated and expanded outwards. The Abbey Church, its
precincts and the monastic life that was centred on them was a
major feature of the city until the dissolution of the monasteries
in C16.
7.8.28
Walcot Street is a historic suburb outside the former city walls.
This area still retains a different character and the uniqueness of
the place and people becomes evident annually at the Walcot Nation
Day celebrations.
