Listed Building: GLOUCESTER LODGE WITH THE CORK AND BOTTLE PUBLIC HOUSE (467586)

WEYMOUTH SY6779SE ESPLANADE 873-1/20/149 (West side) 12/12/53 No.85 Gloucester Lodge, with The Cork and Bottle Public House (Formerly Listed as: ESPLANADE No.85 The Gloucester Hotel, Gloucester Row) GV II* Formerly known as: Gloucester Lodge GLOUCESTER ROW. House, later hotel, now apartments and public house. c1780, major extension to S c1850, interior destroyed by fire and remodelled 1927. Flemish bond brickwork with limestone dressings, slate roofs. PLAN: building is in 2 distinct units, which are described separately, although constituting one property. The mid C19 block returns to Gloucester Street, and has 6 windows to the front, but 4+3 to the rear, the end 3 bays being of greater depth than the remainder; the whole has a double mansard roof with central valley. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, attic and basement. The Esplanade front has six 2-light dormers with segmental roofs over lunette glazing, with haunched pilasters to the cheeks. First and second floor sashes have stone surrounds; at second floor these are plat band, with a panelled stone apron linking to the cornices above moulded architraves to first-floor deep sashes to a moulded sill band and small individual cast-iron balconies. Ground floor has a deep projecting balcony with near-flat roof in 7 large square bays (partly covering the adjoining range), on square pilasters, and each with 4 vertical panes. The main wall plane has lofty segmental-headed sashes in painted surrounds and with keystones; bays 1 & 4 have small-pane paired French doors under small-pane transom lights. The verandah is carried on cast-iron columns and brackets to the basement, and the main wall has various doors and windows; this level is occupied by the Cork and Bottle public house. A slight plinth, and a deep stone cornice on brackets. Return to Gloucester Street has single central sash at each level, with dressings, and to the left a deep square flat-roofed portico with a panelled door under decorative fanlight in an arch with keystone, architrave and responds, a small arched light on each of the returns, and a stone frieze, cornice and blocking. A further stone cornice at first-floor sill level continues to the left over a one-storey projecting wing with wide brick pilasters to 2 blank arches, and with a large glazed opening on the garden front. The main block has 2 deep stacks, and the principal cornice is returned. The back of this range has raking sash dormers above 4-pane sashes to brick voussoirs; a triple sash, with narrow side-lights and brick mullions, lights the principal stair. The right-hand range incorporates the originally 2-storey, 8-bay house of 1780, now in 3 floors, 2 levels of attics, and basement. The centre 4 bays are slightly recessed, with the main entrance now in bay 6. To the Esplanade is an upper range of 6 recessed dormers, above 7 at parapet level, all with paired sashes, but the central one with triple sash. First and second floors have small sashes, 12-pane at second floor and 6-pane below. At the ground floor is a large Palladian window in each end bay, with glazing-bar sashes and radial heads, in narrow stone dressings. The recessed section has a deep 12-pane sash, door with transom light, deep 12-pane, and C20 doors on 8+2 steps in a deep pedimented portico, brought to the pavement, and stopping the large glazed bays of the verandah. A small moulded stone cornice below the second-floor windows; the raised gables are coped, with large brick stacks. The rear has 4 upper dormers and 7 at parapet level, all flat-roofed. The main brick wall, to a plain parapet, contains small glazing-bar sashes at each level; a group of 4 small lights, in a slightly stepped unit, and 6 in the main unit. INTERIOR: not inspected. The original Gloucester Lodge, occupied by George III from c1790, was the 8-bay right-hand range, in only 2 storeys and cellars; a photograph in 'Seaside Weymouth' (Attwooll and West), shows the building in that state. It had a garden to the S, now filled by the later range. It is important as representing royal patronage, which was so vital in the vigorous growth of Weymouth. (RCHME: Dorset, South-East: London: 1970-: 355; Attwooll M & West J: Seaside Weymouth: Weymouth: 1989-: PL 6). Listing NGR: SY6800179373

Record last edited

Oct 22 2009 12:07PM