An exquisite townhouse that once belonged to Pitt the Younger, with probably the grandest home office in Bath
History meets magnificent Georgian architecture and luxurious interiors at Grade I-listed Pitt House, in the centre of Bath.
A slice of British political history has just come to the market. Grade I-listed Pitt House, in Bath, was, as the name implies, once home to 18th-century prime minister William Pitt the Younger. Now for sale with Knight Frank at £3.5 million, the property later became the offices of the Bath Conservative Association.
Designed by Thomas Baldwin and built in 1792, the house is both a prime example of Bath’s Georgian architecture and a luxurious family home for today’s standards, thanks to a renovation process that combined original features with opulent new additions.
The 4,230sq ft interiors have a magnificent cantilevered staircase, window shutters, decorative cornicing and period fireplaces, but also French and Italian crystal chandeliers, bespoke window seats made by Aston Martin upholsterers, silk curtains, electric window blinds and hand-built oak wardrobes in the bedrooms.
The bespoke kitchen, built by Clayton Davidson, is a work of art, with stone worktops and a walnut island unit with curved banquet seating and a circular breakfast table.
Also on the ground floor is a study overlooking Laura Place and Great Pulteney Street, whereas the two main reception rooms are upstairs — one at the front of the building, which has tall windows and a fine fireplace, and the other at the back, which overlooks Bath’s weir and the Parade Gardens.
The second floor is entirely taken up by the exceptional master suite, which comes with dressing room and a freestanding bath in the bathroom. Three more bedrooms are arranged across the third and fourth floors.
Pitt, who became Britain’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 24 in 1783, is thought to have lived at the property between 1801, when he left the position, and 1804, when he resumed it, keeping it until his death in 1806.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
As well as Pitt House’s sheer architectural beauty and interesting history, another draw is a one-year membership to the 5-star luxury The Gainsborough Bath Spa, which the vendor is offering to the property’s new owners.
Pitt House is for sale at £3.5 million via Knight Frank — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Bath: What you need to know
- Location: Bath is 17 minutes by train to Bristol and 1hour 20 minutes to London
- Atmosphere:Simply some of the best Georgian and Regency architecture in the UK
- Things to do: Plenty for everyone, from culture (the choice of museums and art galleries is staggering, whether you are into Roman Britain or Oriental Art) to sports (Bath rugby), well being (the thermal springs) and shopping (myriad independent shops), plus just outside the town, that exhilarating experience that's Longleat safari park. The skyline walk is a must for exceptional views
- Schools: Bath has a huge choice of top-performing schools, including, at secondary level, King Edward's, Monkton Senior, Kingswood and Royal High School.Find more properties in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Credit: Andy Fletcher Photography
Bath unwrapped: Where to stay, what to do and what to eat in one of Britain's most iconic and historic cities
Emily Anderson explores the best of Bath, from the iconic Roman baths to it's eccentric comedy walking tours.
Carla must be the only Italian that finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life’s Arts & Antiques editor in 2023 having previously covered, as a freelance journalist, heritage, conservation, history and property stories, for which she won a couple of awards. Her musical taste has never evolved past Puccini and she spends most of her time immersed in any century before the 20th.
-
‘Calf’s brains have a bland, gentle richness that soothes and cossets': Tom Parker Bowles on the joys of eating offalEating offal it is more sinned against than sinning, but it offers the ultimate in magnificent, fully immersive eating.
By Tom Parker Bowles Published
-
The wave of downsizing about to hit the property market in the UKThe Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget — and specifically the 'Mansion Tax' — has fired a starting pistol for downsizers, and the waves will wash across the entire property market. Annabel Dixon spoke to property experts across the country to gauge how it will play out.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
The wave of downsizing about to hit the property market in the UKThe Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget — and specifically the 'Mansion Tax' — has fired a starting pistol for downsizers, and the waves will wash across the entire property market. Annabel Dixon spoke to property experts across the country to gauge how it will play out.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A Georgian farmhouse that's an 'absolute gem' in an ancient village on Salisbury PlainJulie Harding takes a look at the beautiful West Farm in a gorgeous Wiltshire village.
By Julie Harding Published
-
It'd be crazy to buy this 500-year-old farmhouse just because of its utterly gorgeous Aga — so thank goodness that the rest of this place is also really nicePerry Mill Farm is an immaculate yet characterful four-bedroom dream home in the country at a price that will make city dwellers immediately start Googling 'working from Worcestershire'.
By Toby Keel Published
-
'A masterpiece of timeless elegance' for sale on the charmed Surrey estate once owned by Henry VIII and the Guinness familyThe Manor House in Burwood Park is a grand, enormous and undeniably impressive. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A grand hall in Yorkshire with 400 years of historyCarlton Hall is a wonderful family home amid glorious gardens in a quaint village location. Penny Churchill looks inside.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Why don't more of us live in brightly coloured homes?It's not often that you see a home sporting the colour palette that you'd get if you hired a four-year old as your interior designer. But why not? The Blue House in Bethnal Green asks this and many more questions.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Five magnificent mansions, from a former monastery to an Art Deco wonder in the South Downs, as seen in Country LifeWonderful homes, including a superb beach home in Cornwall, all fresh on the market via Country Life.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A 14-bedroom 'miniature Downton Abbey' to call your own — and there's not a penny of Mansion Tax to be paidNorton Manor is an incredible period home that's on the market for £1.3 million.
By Toby Keel Published
