The Ancient Unicorn Hotel And Attached Rear Wing (Shown On Os Map As Unicorn House)

The Ancient Unicorn Hotel and attached rear wing, also shown on the Ordnance Survey map as Unicorn House, is a hotel located on the north side of Bowes The Street. The front block dates from the mid-18th century and features an altered and refronted 17th-century rear wing, which consists of two sections. The front block is constructed from dressed sandstone with squared rubble returns and has a graduated green slate roof with stone chimney stacks. The rear wing is made of squared rubble; the left section has a stone-flagged roof, while the right section has a green slate roof, also with stone chimney stacks.

The front block stands three storeys tall plus a basement and has three bays. It features raised-and-chamfered quoins. The basement includes a central boarded door flanked by blocked windows. Above the basement string course are replaced casements set in moulded surrounds. The roof has a stone eaves cornice, coped gables, and shaped kneelers, with corniced end stacks.

The rear wing has a set-back two-storey, two-bay left section facing the courtyard, which features a now-glazed Tuscan screen and three segmental relieving arches above. On the first floor, there are two replaced casements in moulded surrounds. The passage behind the screen has two 16-pane sash windows in moulded surrounds. The refronted two-storey, irregular three-bay right section has raised-and-chamfered quoins on the left side, two late 19th-century stone canted bay windows, and three horizontal sliding sashes above. There is a mounting block to the left, with left end and ridge stacks. A short two-storey, gabled stair wing is located at the rear, flanked by one-storey outshuts. A two-light chamfered-mullioned window on the first floor is concealed by the left outshut.

Inside the front block, there is a cut-string, dogleg staircase with three flights plus a landing rail, featuring two turned balusters per tread and a ramped moulded handrail.

There are 20th-century additions on the left return of the front block and at the right end of the rear wing, along with attached farm buildings at the rear, which are not of special interest.