Designed by John Palmer and constructed by various builders between 1789 and 1793, iconic Lansdown Crescent forms the central part of a string of curved terraces that marked the northern boundary of Georgian Bath.
The Grade I-listed crescent, which has spectacular views over other landmark Georgian buildings, including the Royal Crescent, St James’s Square and The Circus, comprises 20 houses, each originally having four floors with servants’ quarters in the basement. And one of them is now up for sale: the Bath office of Knight Frank is handling the sale, at a guide price of £4.5m, of the impeccably renovated 17, Lansdown Crescent.
The house boasts more than 8,000 sq ft of gracious living space, including a 27ft by 24ft drawing room, a convivial withdrawing room, an elegant dining room, a large kitchen/breakfast room, seven bedrooms and four bathrooms.
A substantial lower ground floor houses a snooker room, a further bedroom and storage rooms. Behind the house stands the original, 1,500sq ft coach house, the first floor of which has been converted into office space — ideal for anyone wishing to work from home.
In the late 1990s, current owners Richard and Rebecca Derry-Evans were looking to buy a country house in Mrs Derry-Evans’s native Cornwall when a friend persuaded her to look at 17, Lansdown Crescent, insisting that the house was ‘the talk of town’ — although apparently for all the wrong reasons.
Surprisingly, given the beauty and fame off this spot, that story isn't unusual. A year or two ago a pair of houses further down the street — numbers 7 and 8 — came up for sale as a single lot, with similarly wacky interiors throughout. But there will always be brave souls ready to roll up their sleeves and get places as grand as these back to their best.
The Derry-Evanses were undeterred by the eccentric layout and ‘dodgy’ colour schemes when the couple bought the house in 1999–2000 — but it took a lot of time and energy.
For a solid nine months after the they bought it, three separate teams of painters worked their way through the entire building as Mrs Derry-Evans oversaw the reconfiguration of the interior and coach house.
The Derry-Evanses have clearly loved every moment of their 20-year tenure, but now they are ready to downsize, leaving this very special house for another discerning family to enjoy.
17 Lansdown Crescent is for sale via Savills at £4.5m — see more details and pictures.
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
A unique 'double-house' with incredible views for sale in perhaps the most sought-after crescent in Bath
A huge investment of time and money is needed to restore this pair of houses on Lansdown Crescent to their
Credit: Strutt & Parker
A Georgian townhouse with perhaps the best views in Bath and not a small amount of history
Surviving a World War II bombing that destroyed half of its crescent, indiscriminate postwar ‘redevelopment’ and 45 years of neglect,
Credit: Alamy
Curious Questions: How did Notting Hill go from a rural hamlet to slum to London’s priciest suburb?
Notting Hill is full of house which, while very pleasant, boast astronomical price tags, even by London standards – you
-
How to make Eton mess strawberry blondiesOur kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson shares a mouthwatering recipe bringing together two of the greatest foodstuffs on the planet: strawberries and meringue.
-
The deaths of Romeo and Juliet: Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 12, 2025A Rolling Stone and a familiar-sounding place find their way into Wednesday's Quiz of the Day.
-
The reality of 20 years of house price rises in Britain, from the places that have had a charmed life to the spots where it's a struggle to move back homeAt first glance the ups and downs of the property market seem to even out over time — but dig in to the numbers and you'll see wild regional variations which paint a very difference picture. Annabel Dixon analyses new research which tells the story.
-
A historic Yorkshire hall, meticulously restored to its former 18th-century magnificenceWomersley Park is a masterpiece and one of Yorkshire's great historic houses. And it could be yours.
-
Rowing past dreams: An idyllic riverside home with a boathouse, croquet pitch and Olympic pedigreeThe Manor in Long Wittenham is a perfect Thames-side getaway. Comes with a free boat.
-
A bucolic Sussex home that's 'like stepping into a fairytale', yet just 30 minutes from central LondonFelmere House is a playground for nature and only 30 minutes from London.
-
Magnificent mansions across the Home Counties, from £3 million to £14 million, as seen in Country LifeA waterside dream home and a house and estate with over 1,100 years of history make our round-up this week.
-
Vibrant colours and exquisite taste make this three-bedroom London townhouse singOn Kennington's West Square, this Grade II-listed home is a monument to the discerning eye.
-
Lawns, glorious lawns at this Grade II-listed home in Hampshire where a sustainable future meets a storied pastThere are 'old rectorys', and then there's The Old Rectory.
-
'A monument to Edwardian excess' that was built by the millionaire industrialist who founded Pinewood StudiosBents House is a classic Peak District mansion which shows that good taste and deep pockets can coexist very happily.
