Northumberland Place II

Printed on archival watercolour paper with waterbased inks, these fine art reproductions are a true and faithful reproduction of an original watercolour painting by local artist Irene Marsh.

Irene’s original paintings are held in private collections around the world, admired for their remarkable detail and delicate craftsmanship. Each original watercolour often took up to a year to complete, as Irene worked meticulously with a magnifying glass and fine brush to capture every subtle nuance — a testament to her extraordinary patience and skill.

The History

Northumberland Place in Bath is a historic commercial lane whose origins trace back to before the Georgian era, though the specific history of the lane itself is complex. Before the current buildings were constructed at around 1810, the area was a medieval close called Marchant's Court clearly visible on Gilmore's Map of 1694.

With much of the architecture dating from the late 18th century the current buildings feature shops on the ground floor and accommodation above. Despite this Georgian overlay the narrow lane still retains the shape and size of the medieval street that preceded it, offering a contrast to the grander Georgian architecture found elsewhere in Bath. 

Northumberland Place forms part of a terrace of Grade II listed buildings within Bath's historic core and World Heritage Site. The land was originally owned by the Duke of Northumberland, giving the place its name.

One of the well-known historical landmarks on the street is the Coeur de Lion pub, which is notable for being Bath's oldest pub and for its connection to King Richard the Lionheart, who granted the city its first Royal Charter. 

Many of the buildings on the street were altered again with Victorian era shop frontages. A branch of WH Smith once occupied a building in the lane (Manver's House), as evidenced by the date and initials "1927" on a lead downpipe. And nn ornate metal bracket, once holding a sign for a millinery shop, can still be seen today.

The buildings are primarily made of limestone ashlar, Bath stone.