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Dowry Square, BRISTOL, BS8 4SH

Looking across the Georgian Dowry Square, Hotwells, Bristol

The north side of the square has good early Georgian houses with a fine array of doorcases. Probably by George Tully, and dating from c1721-25, except for the far two which are similarly styled but were built twenty years later. Grade II* listed (except for the second pink one, no. 8, grade II listed).

A group of evening runners turn from St Vincent's Road into Polygon Road

Buildings around the north-west corner of the square - all are listed. The pedimented front on the left belongs to number 4, dating from 1748. "Dowry Square was laid out by Tully in 1720, and building continued until 1750. Each side had a 5-window middle house and outer 3-window ones, of brick, now altered and mostly rendered, to various designs" http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1202206&searchtype=mapsearch .

Thomas Beddoes, a physician, opened the Pneumatic Institution in this white-painted corner house in Dowry Square in 1799. He advertised free treatment to individuals "suffering from asthma, dropsy, obstinate venereal complaints, tubeculosis and T.B-related conditions". Humphry Davy, who was his the laboratory superintendent here between 1799-1801 investigated nitrous oxide (a.k.a. laughing gas) using equipment designed by James Watt and subsequently proposed its use as an anaesthetic gas. Peter M. Roget of Thesaurus fame and a physician, is known to have spent 1799 here with Beddoes and Davy on the nitrous oxide research work. It seems too, that under Davy's supervision, guests including Robert Southey, Thomas Wedgwood and Samuel Taylor Coleridge enjoyed laughing gas sessions here. Jacob Schweppe, a German watchmaker and silversmith, ran a shop in Dowry Square selling carbonated water c.1812. Hotwell Road (A4) lies behind the photographer.

A corner of Dowry Square from its Hotwell Road source. In 1480 Wm. Worcester described the Hotwell spring waters as being "milky and as warm as those at Bath" and in 1692 the Society of Merchant Venturers leased out the springs and a pump room was built (elsewhere) in Hotwells. Thus Hotwells attempted to compete with Bath as a spa resort and elegant residences such as these were built to receive well-heeled gentry seeking cures. Dowry Square was laid out from 1721 by Messrs Thomas Oldfield & George Tully, a Quaker architect and carpenter. It is a three sided square open at the south end, each side boasting a five-bay centre house flanked by smaller, mostly three-bay, houses. A brass plaque on the wall of the nearest house declares it to be "Clifton Dispensary", although no further information concerning this was available.

Roughly the centrepiece of the west side and a cut above the rest of the square. Brick with stone dressings, a pedimented centre brought forward and mid-C19th porch. The architect was probably Thomas Paty, c1747-48. Grade II* listed.

A row of elegant Georgian houses on one side of the central grassed garden in Dowry Square with Hotwell Road (A4) in the distance. In 1480 Wm. Worcester described the Hotwell spring waters as being "milky and as warm as those at Bath" and in 1692 the Society of Merchant Venturers leased out the springs and a pump room was built (elsewhere) in Hotwells. Thus Hotwells attempted to compete with Bath as a spa resort and elegant residences such as these were built to receive well-heeled gentry seeking cures. Dowry Square was laid out from 1721 by Messrs Thomas Oldfield & George Tully, a Quaker architect and carpenter. It is a three sided square open at the south end, each side boasting a five-bay centre house flanked by smaller, mostly three-bay, houses. A brass plaque on the wall of the nearest house declares it to be "Clifton Dispensary", although no further information concerning this was available.

The west side of the mostly early Georgian square. The nearest was built c1730, next is late C18th, the third was refaced in ashlar in 1822. Grade II listed. The next one along is here:

Dowry Square, Hotwells