No. 1 Royal Crescent

About the museum

No. 1 Royal Crescent was the first house to be built in the Royal Crescent, the sweeping terrace of thirty Bath stone houses designed by John Wood the Younger. It was constructed between 1767 and 1772 and is listed Grade I. A service wing, now known as No. 1a, was built at the same time, and in 1769 Wood added a small extension called the Gentleman's Retreat. The wealthy landowner Henry Sandford rented the house from 1776 to 1796. Later tenants included clergymen and minor gentry, and in the 1840s it housed a school for young ladies before becoming a lodging house.

In 1968 the main house was separated from the service wing. Bernard Cayzer bought No. 1 and gave it to Bath Preservation Trust, paying for its restoration as a Georgian town house museum. Window sills were raised to their original height, period joinery was copied and a new back stair was built. The rooms were furnished with the advice of a committee that included the Victoria and Albert Museum's keeper of furniture and woodwork and the interior designer Jean Munro. They reflect the house's occupants and separate the men's and women's spheres of a Georgian household.

In 2006 the Brownsword Charitable Foundation took on a long lease of No. 1a for the trust. The Whole Story Project of 2010 to 2013 reunited the two buildings, conserved the interiors, opened new rooms and added a shop, a gallery and a lift that gave level access for the first time. The kitchen in the service wing preserves rare fittings. Today the house is a museum run by Bath Preservation Trust, whose headquarters are inside, and it holds Accredited status under the Arts Council England scheme.

Highlights

• Rooms furnished as a Georgian household of 1776 to 1796
• Original service wing with rare kitchen fittings
• The Georgian Home Experience, an immersive film and sound installation
• Gentleman's Retreat and the Servants' Hall
• Gallery for temporary exhibitions and a gift shop

Permanent exhibitions

• Georgian townhouse rooms – Rooms of the main house furnished as they might have appeared when Henry Sandford lived here between 1776 and 1796.
• The Georgian Home Experience – An immersive film and sound installation about life in a Georgian home that also covers the transatlantic slave trade; some visitors may find it upsetting.
• Service wing and kitchen – The servants' wing of No. 1a, with its kitchen and rare original kitchen fittings.

Operated by

Bath Preservation Trust

Admission & discounts

A ticket can be reused for up to 12 months by the named holders, and repeat visits are free when the first ticket is shown. Members of Bath Preservation Trust enter free. Bath Discovery Card holders and Art Fund members can get discounts through promotional codes.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A step-free route using a lift reaches the ground and basement floors of the main house and the ground and first floors of the service wing, but it misses four rooms: the kitchen, the gentleman's and ladies' bedrooms and the withdrawing room. A virtual iPad tour of those rooms can be borrowed at the ticket desk. Some floors are uneven, the basement and courtyard are flagstone and the back stairs are steep and narrow. An adapted toilet is next to the lift. A manual wheelchair can be borrowed if booked. Mobility scooters, prams and buggies are not allowed inside. The immersive installation has a hearing loop and captions, and large-print transcripts and sensory bags with ear defenders are available. Assistance dogs are welcome. There are no accessible parking bays outside the museum, but two are on Brock Street and more at Charlotte Street car park.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

A family trail is available, and during school holidays there are drop-in activities such as autumn leaf printing. Prams and buggies cannot be taken through the house. Baby changing is on the ground floor but not on the visitor route, so ask staff for directions.

Getting there & parking

The car park may have a minimum stay of four hours.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Gift shop on site. Seating is available throughout the house.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 50 guests.

Spaces include the Courtyard (35), the Parlour (20), the Servants' Hall (40) and exclusive use of the whole museum (50). Events normally take place outside opening hours.

Plan your visit