Thousands of people travel past the grand white row of four-story terrace houses every day, gazing down at the basements below, mostly unaware of why or how this random stretch of old buildings exists.
In the early 1820s, Richard Evamy commenced his plans to develop the vicinity of Portland Street and Portland Terrace.
Now, as reported in the Daily Echo, a section of Portland Terrace – between Spa Road and Castle Way Car Park – is set to be used for buses, taxis and cyclists only.
It is widely accepted that many of the homes in Portland Terrace were designed by Tom Benham, a surveyor and architect. Yet the exact number of dwellings designed by his skilful hands remains uncertain.
The architect's involvement in the design of the Royal Victoria Assembly Rooms, a Victorian entertainment venue, is also plausible.
On the west side of Portland Terrace, buildings 8-16 from this era still remain and have been granted Grade II listed status. These structures create an impressive row that captures the past in all its glory.
Manchester Street and Bargate Street were bookended by Portland Terrace during the 19th century, with Middle Portland Terrace falling between them.
Upper Portland Terrace ran north from Manchester Street.
The pictures in the gallery above show the changes in the area over the years.
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