Great Western Hotel, Newquay

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Great Western Hotel
Great Western Hotel, Newquay.jpg
Front of the hotel
Great Western Hotel, Newquay is located in Cornwall
Great Western Hotel, Newquay
Location within Cornwall
Alternative namesThe Great Western
General information
Architectural styleGable Country House Style (1879)
Art-Deco (1931)
AddressGreat Western Hotel, 36-37 Cliff Road, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2NE
Town or cityNewquay, Cornwall
Coordinates50°24′59″N 5°04′31″W / 50.416265°N 5.075347°W / 50.416265; -5.075347Coordinates: 50°24′59″N 5°04′31″W / 50.416265°N 5.075347°W / 50.416265; -5.075347
Construction started1878
CompletedJanuary 1879
Opened7 April 1879
Renovated2007
Renovation cost£1.1 Million
OwnerSt Austell Brewery
(1985 - Present)
Technical details
Floor count4
Design and construction
ArchitectSilvanus Trevail
Architecture firmF.C West (1931)
Renovating team
ArchitectNova Design Partnership
Other information
Number of rooms66
Website
https://www.greatwesternnewquay.co.uk/

The Great Western Hotel is the oldest purpose built hotel in Newquay, Cornwall. The hotel was originally designed by the Cornish architect Silvanus Trevail and first opened in April 1879.[1][2] The hotel is built in a prominent position overlooking Great Western Beach.

The hotel has 66 rooms, some with sea-views.[3]

History[]

Great Western Hotel

In December 1877, the local newspaper mentioned, The hotel proprietors have already commenced to build the hotel, near Newquay railway station, they had promised to be admirably adapted for 'commercial men' and visitors alike.[4] Plans had already been drawn by Silvanus Trevail, the plans show that the hotel would have about fifty rooms, including a café restaurant, and a room in which concerts or lectures may be given.[4] The site would have 'charming' view of the bay, and close to the bathing beaches.[4]

In September 1878, Mr. Whitefield, solicitor, applied for a licence for it to be called 'Great Western'.[5] The Great Western Railway gave £2,000 towards the building of the hotel. The architecture of the hotel was by Silvanus Trevail, who later designed the Headland Hotel.[6] In January 1879 the hotel was completed and it officially opened on 7 April 1879.[7] The hotel was built on the land of Tolcarne Farm.[citation needed] It was the first in a string of hotels designed to appeal to the renewed interest in Cornwall as a winter resort for the middle classes.[8]

Cornish Architect Silvanus Trevail

"The Great Western Hotel, at Newquay, opened for business on Monday, the 7th instant. The situation is all that can be desired, commanding magnificent views of the headland, harbour, and the coast up to Trevose Head. It is said there are fifty rooms. The architect was Mr. Silvanus Trevail. Doubtless the establishment will be appreciated by visitors to this delightful coast."[9]

Royal Visit[]

On a tour of Cornwall in May 1926, The Prince (Edward VIII) met the Duchy tenants at the hotel, and took tea with them in company with Sir Walter Peacock, Mr. Webster, Mr. Stainer, Duchy stewards.[10]

Owners[]

The first owners of the hotel, Mr & Mrs Robert Rowlands, were basket makers and bathing machine proprietors.[11] In 1909, the first generation of the Hooper family took over the hotel.[12] St Austell Brewery purchased the property in 1985 and in 2007 a £1.1 million refurbishment project commenced. This included extensive ground floor alterations, complete external painting, replacement of windows, bedroom refurbishment and landscape gardening of outside areas to create an extensive “al fresco dining” terrace.[3]

The hotel and the owning family is mentioned in Emma Smith's 2008 memoir, The Great Western Beach, describing her childhood in Cornwall between the two World Wars.[12]

Architecture[]

The original 1879 building resembled a large country house with pitched roofs, gable ends and attic windows.[6] The hotel was described, in a Newquay holiday guide, as having "Spacious Billiard & Coffee Rooms".[citation needed] It was the first to have en-suite rooms.[citation needed] In 1931 the original modest two storey gabled building was altered beyond recognition[6][2] to the current symmetrical art-deco style building, consisting of three storeys with smooth external render, painted frontages, symmetrical sash windows and rusticated quoin detailing to corners.[13][14]

References[]

  1. ^ "Newquay Characteristics Study - Cornwall Council" (PDF). 2003.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Newquay Council" (PDF). 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Great Western Hotel Newquay" (PDF).
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c 'Newquay News' -Royal Cornwall Gazette - Friday 21 December 1877
  5. ^ Harper, Sheila (2013-11-15). Newquay Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-1326-0.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ronald, Perry (29 November 2008). Silvanus Trevail: Cornish Architect and Entrepreneur. United Kingdom: Francis Boutle. p. 7. ISBN 978-1903427439.
  7. ^ "Great Western Hotel Newquay 1909 (The Common Room) Page 4 RootsChat.Com". www.rootschat.com. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  8. ^ bwdeacon (2020-07-07). "Tourism: cure or curse?". Cornish studies resources. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  9. ^ "The Intelligence". The West Briton & Cornwall advertiser. April 24, 1879.
  10. ^ Western Morning News - Friday 21 May 1926
  11. ^ Kelly's Directory of Cornwall, 1883. Kelly and Co.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Smith, Emma (2008). The Great Western Beach. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury. pp. 38. ISBN 978-0-7475-9591-5.
  13. ^ "Design Statement Newquay buildings" (PDF). Cornwall Council. 2006.
  14. ^ "WALKING TOUR OF NEWQUAY" (PDF). Twentieth Century Society South West Regional Group. 2018.
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