 A view of The Circus | |
| Former name(s) | King's Circus |
|---|---|
| Maintained by | Bath and North East Somerset Council |
| Addresses | 1-30 The Circus |
| Postal code | BA1 2 |
| Coordinates | 51°23′10″N2°21′50″W / 51.386°N 2.364°W /51.386; -2.364 |
| Construction | |
| Construction start | 1754 |
| Completion | 1768 |
| Other | |
| Designer | John Wood, the Elder |
| Status | Grade I listed[1] |
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The Circus is a historic ring of largetownhouses in the city ofBath, Somerset,England, forming a circle with three entrances. Designed by architectJohn Wood, the Elder, it was built between 1754 and 1768,[2] and is regarded as a pre-eminent example ofGeorgian architecture. "Circus" (Latin) means a ring, oval or circle in English. The construction has been designated as a Grade Ilisted building.[3]
The Circus is divided into three segments of equal length, with a lawn in the centre. Each segment faces one of the three entrances, ensuring a classicalfaçade is always presented straight ahead.
The Circus, originally called theKing's Circus, was designed by thearchitectJohn Wood, the Elder. Convinced that Bath had been the principal centre ofDruid activity in Britain,[4] Wood surveyedStonehenge, which has a diameter of 325 feet (99 m) at the outer earth bank, and designed the Circus with a 318 feet (97 m) diameter to mimic this.[5][6]
Wood died less than three months after the first stone was laid; his son,John Wood, the Younger, completed the project to his father's design. The initial leases for the south west segment were granted in 1755–1767, for the south east segment in 1762–1766, and for the north segment in 1764–1766.
The Circus was part of John Wood the Elder's grand vision to recreate a classicalPalladian architectural landscape for the city. Other projects included nearbyQueen Square and the never-built Forum. The culmination of Wood's career, the Circus is considered his masterpiece.[7]
The painterThomas Gainsborough lived in Number 17 between 1758 and 1774, using part of its space as his portrait studio.[8] Number 15 was home to AdmiralSir Richard Bickerton and his family in the first half of the 19th century.[9]
During theBath Blitz of 25/26 April 1942, one of theBaedeker Blitz retaliatory raids on England following theRoyal Air Force's raid onLübeck, a bomb fell into the Circus, demolishing several of the houses. These have since been reconstructed in the original style.
Architectural historianDan Cruickshank selected the Circus as one of his five choices for the 2002BBCtelevision documentary seriesBritain's Best Buildings.[10]
ThreeClassical orders (GreekDoric,Roman/Composite andCorinthian) are used, one above the other, in the elegant curved facades. Thefrieze of theDoricentablature is decorated with alternatingtriglyphs and 525 pictorial emblems, including serpents, nautical symbols, devices representing the arts and sciences, andMasonic symbols. Theparapet is adorned with stone acornfinials.
When viewed from the air, the Circus, along with Queen Square and the adjoiningGay Street, form a key shape, which is a masonic symbol similar to those that adorn many of Wood's buildings.[11]
The central area was originally paved with stonesetts, covering a reservoir in the centre that supplied water to the houses. In 1800 the Circus residents enclosed the central part of the open space as a garden. Now, the central area is grassed over and is home to a group of five largeplane trees, which are believed to date to around 1820.[12] They are contributing factors to the Grade I listing of The Circus.[13]
Media related toThe Circus, Bath at Wikimedia Commons