Listed Building: ROYAL HOTEL AND QUEENS BALLROOM (467598)

WEYMOUTH SY6879 ESPLANADE 873-1/21/151 (West side) 14/06/74 Nos.90 AND 91 Royal Hotel and Queen's Ballroom (Formerly Listed as: ESPLANADE Nos.90 AND 91 The Royal Hotel, Gloucester Row) GV II Hotel. Begun 1897, completed 1899, by C Orlando Law. Red brick, Portland stone dressings, slate and lead roofs. STYLE: in a vigorous Northern Renaissance style with Flemish details. PLAN: the large symmetrical main building has a short return wing of full height to the right, and is connected by a long, wide central one-storey lobby, and a former carriage house, to the ballroom across the back (in Gloucester Mews). The main staircase, with later inserted lift, lies to the left of the lobby. The bedrooms are paired to full-width central corridors. EXTERIOR: main front is 4 storeys, attics and basement, in 3:4:1:4:3 pattern of fenestration, mainly casements. There are octagonal end pavilions and a central gabled bay slightly brought forward; a 'triumphal arch' portico is flanked by large glazed verandah bays. Four 2-light casement dormers each side have low pedimented fronts, with returned cornice mould; at this level the octagons have small-paned lights in arched heads and decorative tympana, with small paired columns to the corners, blind balustrade, and deep coved cornice with brackets to ogee-curve decorative lead cupolas carrying small turrets with pyramidal capping and flagstaff. The central gable, with banded brick and stonework and terminal panel, has small paired deep-set lights with pediment. The fourth floor lights form a continuous frieze band, with 2-light windows under flat elliptical arches carried on columns to lion-head corbels below the sill band. At the corner turrets the treatment is simplified, but with a bold cornice, and the central unit has 2 deep lights with transom, under a decorative frieze, and on a railed balcony above a 2-storey curved bow. Second-floor windows are 2-light, full-depth, with transom, and under a transom light, with crown-like lintels; these 4 openings each side give to a continuous balcony with flat elliptical plan, and iron balustrade, above 2 bows at first floor. The turrets have plain sashes, and the central bay a stone flat bow window with curved end lights, and segmental heads, under a moulded cornice. At first floor are paired bows, each with 3 pairs of French windows to a continuous balcony with iron balustrade. At this level the brickwork is banded with stone, and the windows each have 3 stone voussoirs. The turrets are similarly treated, but with 2-light windows to arched heads. The central bay has a stone bow similar to that at second floor. The central portico on 6 steps with nosings has paired Ionic columns to a central elliptical arch with keystone, flanked by vertical oval oculi, and to a moulded cornice, with balcony rail and stone balustrade above. This covers C20 glazed doors with original paned side-lights, and column responds, echoing the outer detail. To each side are 2 wide bays, divided by paired pilasters, with 3 small-pane transom lights forming a frieze above 4 vertical panes; the end lights are bowed, with curved glass. Below the main glazing are panels of rich cast-iron work, with sunburst and ship motifs, below which are open balustrades giving some light to the basement windows set back below. The turrets at ground floor have plain sashes with pediments, and a canted light connects with the main glazing. The return wing has a series of 2-light dormers above a stone eaves course and a deep plain frieze, and several deep stacks in brick with some stone banding. Set back to left of street front is a single bay with wide carriage arch. The rear wall has 3 bays to the left of the staircase, with 3 dormers, and a further 2 on the return wing. Large 3-light casements with transom, and to segmental heads, at staggered levels, light the staircase, which has been raised to a lift housing. To the right are 5 regular bays in 5 storeys, to parapet, with 4-pane sashes to segmental heads. INTERIOR: the central lobby has 4 bays of compartmental ceiling to plaster moulded beams and enrichment, on 3 pairs of free-standing Ionic columns to high podia, then a flat segmental-vaulted deep room which ends with a large stone fireplace with a dragon in high relief above the arched fire opening. To right in the front lobby is a fireplace in dark veined marble, with mantelshelf on paired brackets. To left is the stair well with quarter landings, good turned newels and balustrades, and dentil cornices. At the main floor landings wide elliptical arches give to the corridors. Most doors are original, with 6-panel (arranged as 1 over 2,1 and 2) to the lower floors, and 4 panel above. At the rear of the main hotel, with frontage to Gloucester Mews, is the former Queen's Ballroom. Brick, with some stone dressings, and hipped slate roof. One storey, in 7 bays divided by brick pilasters, paired at the ends, and stepped brick eaves course. 6 of the bays have large arched openings, with triple keystone, over 3-light windows with 3 transom levels, and arched heads to the lowest lights. Stone bands to the jambs are not carried through the pilasters; moulded stone sills are on brackets. Bay 2 contains a wide pair of doors with small-pane side lights and overlight under a moulded segmental hood on pilasters in bold Art Nouveau form. Above the door are 3 small 6-pane lights to a continuous sill band. INTERIOR: not inspected. This is a forceful building, in the manner of Richard Norman Shaw's more monumental work in this style and demonstrating a characteristic late Victorian approach to urban development. A plaque on the front records that it is on the site of the former Royal Hotel patronised by George III. In the lobby is a stone panel, set into the reception desk, inscribed: The foundation stone of the Royal Hotel Weymouth was laid on 22 April 1897 by Charles Jesty Esq., Mayor. Opened 16 May 1899' Listing NGR: SY6801279435

Record last edited

Sep 30 2009 9:39AM