A Georgian window on the world

Tucked in between The Crystal Palace pub and The Abbey Deli on Abbey Green is an unassuming end-of-terrace Georgian building, which still bears the sooty grime of which Bath was covered before a general ‘clean-up’ in the 1970’s and 80’s.

It’s called Elton House and is owned by The Landmark Trust – one of Britain’s leading building conservation charities.

The Trust is a charity that rescues historic buildings and lets them for self-catering holidays. Elton House sleeps up to ten people.

Since1865 The Landmark Trust has saved over 200 extraordinary historic places in Britain and Italy. They range from castles and cottages to forts and follies.

The charity also cares for the island of Lundy, 12 miles off the Devon coast.

Over the recent week-end – while much bigger attractions like Robbie Wlliams and Bath Rugby celebrations were on going – little Elton House was opened to the public to have a look around.

The earliest part of the building dates from just before 1700 with many subsequent enlargements. It’s been everything from a lodging house to hosting both a cobblers and an antiques shop on its ground floor.

It was given to the Trust in 1982 – complete with lots of furniture – by Miss Philippa Savery, a notable campaigner for the city’s preservation.

It was Philippa who also created a lovely little garden at the back of the house. You can look up and see the old laundry chimney which now forms part of the Roman Bath’s Clore Learning Centre.

We enjoyed our look around and l can vouch for how wonderful a Landmark Trust property experience can be having spent a week on Lndy Island a few years ago.

In case you are wondering why the exterior grime has not been cleaned, the Trust was told that it forms part of the history of the building and , anyway, it would look odd if only one half of this Georgian building was cleaned

To book or find out more, visit www.landmarktrust.org.uk