The famous Yellow Door at Number 22, Royal Crescent, Bath, England
Dear Readers,
It seems that not all owners of penthouses in Bath’s Royal Crescent (built 1767 – 1774) felt compelled to adhere to tradition when it came to the requirement of all white doors in this finest example of Georgian architecture in the UK. Miss Amabel Wellesley-Colley personally took on the Bath Preservation Trust by painting the door and window sashes of Number 22 a decidedly different Primrose Yellow. As you can imagine, there was much back and forth concerning this “most regrettable” choice of paint. And, before the matter was fully resolved, Miss Wellesley-Colley passed away. However, new owner of 22, Mr. Stephen Little, decided to keep the color of the door since repainting would cause an even greater stir than when Miss Wellesley-Colley first defied the authorities. So it’s still yellow. Tour guides enjoy pointing out the now-famous door. And somewhere Miss Wellesley-Colley must be smiling!
View from the front lawn of Royal Crescent in Bath — one of England’s finest examples of Georgian architecture
Elegantly curved — the Royal Crescent in Bath, England — with mostly white doors!
–Rusha and Bert
For more information: Check out “A clash of colour in the Crescent!” by Richard Wyatt.
For more Postcards from England:
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
Judy @ NewEnglandGardenAndThread
What a handsome yellow door with its holiday wreath on display. 🙂
Oh, the Places We See
The only yellow door . . . It caused quite a stir, or at least that’s what our driver told us!! Thanks for taking a look.
JudyinFrance
I love the story. Have a great Christmas!
Oh, the Places We See
I did, too! And I think there’s a tie to Jane Austen. Still looking! Best wishes for happy holidays!
ralietravels
Did they say how long ago the door was painted yellow? Just curious.
Oh, the Places We See
I looked at a couple of other sources and found one that gave a date range: in the 1970s. This is under a photo stored in Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pefkosmad/8184751945
I’m not sure when it was painted, but it evidently had quite an impact! Thanks for taking a look.