No. 1 Royal Crescent

The first house on the crescent

No. 1 Royal Crescent was the first house built on the Royal Crescent in Bath. John Wood the Younger designed and built it between 1767 and 1775. Today it is a museum that shows Georgian life for Bath’s wealthier residents and for their servants, with historic furniture, pictures and objects in the rooms.

The rooms are decorated and furnished as they might have been between 1776 and 1796. Those are the years when Henry Sandford, a wealthy landowner, rented the house. The museum also runs temporary exhibitions in its gallery.

Run by Bath Preservation Trust

In 1968 Bernard Cayzer bought No. 1 and gave it to Bath Preservation Trust, which made it a museum and its headquarters. In 2006 the Brownsword Charitable Foundation acquired the neighbouring No. 1a for the Trust to lease long term, and the two buildings were reunited in 2013.

Stairs and the step-free route

The house has steep stairs, and the museum warns that the Back Stairs are very steep and narrow and that some floors are uneven. There are two routes. One is step-free and uses a lift to reach the Dining Room, Parlour, Gentleman’s Retreat, Servants’ Hall, shop and gallery. Four rooms are not on it: the Kitchen, Gentleman’s Bedroom, Ladies Bedroom and Withdrawing Room. A virtual tour of those rooms can be borrowed at the ticket desk. The floor in the basement and courtyard is flagstone.

Planning the visit

Tickets can be bought on the door, but the museum recommends booking online for a set time slot. Check the current opening days and any closure periods on the museum’s website. The nearest car park is Charlotte Street, about five minutes away, which may have a minimum stay. For access questions, ring 01225 428126 before you book.

This is one Georgian house, shown as it was lived in, which sets it apart from the Jane Austen Centre, an exhibition about a single author’s time in Bath. Check the dog rules with the venue before you bring one.