Building record MDO46865 - Portland Road Hotel, Castletown, Portland

A three storey hotel and public house that dates from the late 19th century with an early to mid-20th century addition to the rear. The public rooms form much of the front half of the building, with bedrooms above, while the private accommodation which has now been incorporated into the public house is to the left (east) end of the building. It is built of brick with terracotta, glazed tile and stone dressings in a typical late 19th century fashion. The hipped roof is clad in slate and has large brick stacks. The principal elevation fronts onto the road and is of five bays with doorways in the second and fourth bays. The ground floor is clad in glazed tiles and the bays are defined by pilasters to the ground floor that are also faced with brown and gold glazed tiles laid in contrasting horizontal bands. The second bay from the right breaks forwards and has a doorway with pilastered architrave and a semi-circular overlight with projecting keystone and floral relief to the spandrels. Large consoles flank the entrance and, with the banded pilasters, support an entablature. At first floor, the entrance bay is faced in buff terracotta with a tripartite window with terracotta mullions and an Art Nouveau J A DEVENISH & CO in a panel above, supported on decorative pilasters that flank the window. The ground floor windows and interior were remodelled in the late 20th century.

This public house is situated close to the once thriving former naval dockyard. The exact date of construction is unknown but it is believed to be in the late 19th century. The building is depicted on the first Ordnance Survey map published in 1891 as an L-shaped building and appears to have been purpose-built as a public house with hotel rooms to the upper floors. Map evidence indicates that it underwent significant additions to the rear between 1903 (2nd ed.) and 1929 (3rd ed.).

The Portland Roads Hotel is a three storey building that dates from the late 19th century with an early to mid-20th century addition to the rear. The public rooms form much of the front half of the building, with bedrooms above, while the private accommodation which has now been incorporated into the public house is to the left (east) end of the building. It is built of brick with terracotta, glazed tile and stone dressings in a typical late 19th century fashion. The hipped roof is clad in slate and has large brick stacks. The principal elevation fronts onto the road and is of five bays with doorways in the second and fourth bays. The ground floor is clad in glazed tiles and the bays are defined by pilasters to the ground floor that are also faced with brown and gold glazed tiles laid in contrasting horizontal bands. The second bay from the right breaks forwards and has a doorway with pilastered architrave and a semi-circular overlight with projecting keystone and floral relief to the spandrels. Large consoles flank the entrance and, with the banded pilasters, support an entablature. At first floor, the entrance bay is faced in buff terracotta with a tripartite window with terracotta mullions and an Art Nouveau J A DEVENISH & CO in a panel above, supported on decorative pilasters that flank the window. The second floor seems to be faced in faience and has a similar tripartite window with flanking pilasters decorated in relief. Above the eaves is a wide segmental pediment containing a cartouche. The other bays are plain in comparison. The ground floor has a large mullioned and transomed window to the left hand bay and pairs of windows with flat-headed overlights with glazing bars to the upper parts; the first floor windows are canted bays, whilst those to the second floor are a mix of single-light sashes, three-light sash and a canted bay. A dentilled cornice runs the full length and right return of the building. The rear elevation is far plainer with windows of late 19th century and 20th century date. Of the two entrances, the doorway in bay two leads to a hallway which leads to the former private accommodation to the left, to the public bars to the right, and to the service areas at the rear of the building. It has a staircase with moulded balusters and large newels. The second entrance has a half-glazed timber door and leads into the right hand bar area. This room is wood panelled throughout, although much is late 20th century / early 21st century in date. The upper parts of the walls behind the bar counter have a similar arrangement of decorative glass as is found in the door, and niches inset with mirrored glass. There is a moulded fire surround, but the bar counter and back bar have been refurbished. An opening to the right of the bar leads through to the second public room which has the same decorative treatment and fireplace. A central spine beam runs the length of the front half of the building. It is supported on cast-iron columns, the positions of which seem at odds with the siting of the bar counters. The first and second floors are predominantly intact in terms of plan form, but the bedrooms are very plain with only simple moulded cornicing surviving to some first floor rooms. Again, there is a central spine beam which is supported on cast-iron columns which are visible in several of the bedrooms.

Commercial buildings such as pubs survive in high numbers and consequently greater selectivity is necessary when considering such buildings for designation. Key considerations will be rarity, architectural quality and the degree of survival of original fabric. A pub which is post-1840 in date will require an intact exterior with a high degree of architectural interest, and good quality interior features. Externally the Portland Roads Hotel is a well preserved example of the high level of investment being made available at the end of the 19th century for public house construction, and the desire to create establishments that were more than just drinking places. The exterior possesses striking architectural detailing, and incorporates notable features, such as the moulded terracotta decoration and glazed tiles. However, this level of ornamentation is not unusual and can be found on many other public houses around the country. Eclectic architectural styles such as that employed at the Portland Roads were also one of the most popular choices for public house construction at this time and had been in use since the mid 1870s. Despite the impressive entrance bay, the exterior of the building is disappointing: plain brickwork and little decorative embellishment; furthermore the ground floor windows appear to be later replacements. In assessing a public house of this date for listing the survival of a good interior is of key importance. Unfortunately the quality of the exterior of the Hotel is not matched within its interior. Regrettably, the ground floor has incurred alteration, which has resulted in a compromised floor plan affecting the building's original internal character. Many of the ground floor fittings have been lost to successive redecoration and renovation in the late 20th century and early 21st century. Internal features do survive, such as some panelling to the lower parts of the walls; decorative windows above the entrance to the public bar and above the back bars; fireplaces and staircases. However, these are fairly standard features that are representative rather than exceptional, and are not sufficient on their own to justify a listing recommendation. In the national context there is very little to distinguish it from many other pubs of this date which have been re-organised internally and retain vestigial interior features; a much greater degree of intactness and architectural quality would be expected for the building to warrant listing. The Portland Roads Hotel is a large public house with accommodation that has a prominent frontage and is one of a number of pubs that were built in the 19th century along Portland Road, and close to the former Royal Naval dockyard. Its location conveys some historic interest to the building, but is insufficient in its own right to raise the pub above local interest. It clearly has local interest and this is reflected in its inclusion within the Conservation Area. <1>

<1> English Heritage, English Heritage Listing File, Adviser's report on case 166882 (Scheduling record). SDO17502.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1492594 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 30 2024 11:02AM