Two cresents, one in the south west of England, the other in the East Midlands, both built during the 18th century, both of architectural and historical interest, but there the similarity ends.
Between 1767 and 1774, the architect John Wood built the Crescent in Bath shown in the top postcard. It didn't achieve "Royal" status until the end of the century when Prince Frederick, son of George III, lived there. It is now known as The Royal Crescent.
It was designed as a façade of 30 dwellings but in fact sections of the façade were sold off to individuals who built their own houses behind. As a result the back view is very different. It is referred to as "Queen Anne fronts and Mary-Anne backs.
The second picture is The Crescent in Buxton which was built about 10 years later and modelled on the crescent in Bath. Both are Grade I listed buildings but Buxton hasn't fared nearly so well as Bath. The hotel that occupied one end closed in the 1980s because the cost of repairs was too high. Later major structural problems were discovered and by 1992 the whole building lay empty. It is still unoccupied.
So sad. I spent my honeymoon in Buxton.
Beautiful architecture.
ReplyDeleteOh, that is sad.
ReplyDeleteThere is something so unusual about the crescent design. These remind me of the much later (1822) Gardner's Crescent in Edinburgh, which I have never seen in person...but hope to some day.
What a shame that such an elegant building as Bath remains empty!
ReplyDeleteYou honeymooned in an elegant place!!!