Weymouth Beach from the Pleasure Pier (Pavilion) - Royal Hotel

Before leaving Weymouth, heading onto the Pleasure Pier (aka the Pavilion). There isn't much left here, just a car park where the rides used to be, and the Weymouth Pavilion, now a theatre.

 

 

Views to Weymouth Beach and the sea.

 

 

Royal Hotel

 

Grade II Listed Building

 

Royal Hotel and Queens Ballroom

 

Description

 

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

 

 

Done