Former Albion House

FORMER ALBION HOUSE

A house built around 1846 for Sir James Alderson, a local physician, by the Hull-based architect H.F. Lockwood. The building was converted into the Church Institute, a Methodist club, in 1864, altered in the 1990s as a public house, and extensively renovated as a hotel in 2006.

EXTERIOR

The building is constructed of brick with a sandstone ashlar facade. The front elevation presents a symmetrical Classical facade of five bays over three storeys and a basement. A flight of steps leads up to the raised ground floor and a central portico with paired Doric columns supporting a balustraded balcony at first floor level. The portico covers a double doorway with a rectangular overlight and moulded door case, flanked by narrow side lights.

The ground floor windows have stone architraves and shallow balustraded balconies in front supported on scroll brackets. The basement windows below have modern style joinery and unadorned openings with shallow arched lintels. At first floor level, the window openings have eared architraves with a pulvinated frieze topped by a cornice without consoles and a narrow sill band. Below each window is a balustrade-style frieze with a projecting stringcourse below. The windows are modern 6 over 6 horned sashes. The second floor windows are 3 over 3 horned sashes with simple stone architraves rising from a sill band. The elevation is topped by a parapet wall with a simple frieze and moulded cornice supported by modillions. The shallow pitched roof lacks chimneys and cannot be seen from the ground.

Set back to the right of the main frontage is an additional bay finished in render with sill bands to the first and second floors and window joinery to match the main facade. This is a modern extension of no special interest.

The right (east) side elevation has two bays originally detailed similarly to the front elevation. The bay towards the front survives; that towards the rear has been largely covered by a modern extension. The left (west) side elevation is mainly obscured by the neighbouring building. The rear (north) elevation is brick built and plainer in detail, with later extensions.

INTERIOR

The inner vestibule contains a doorway with an arched fanlight leading to the central stair hall. A sweeping, cantilevered stone staircase accesses the first floor and features decorative iron supporting brackets, some of which are modern replacements matching the originals. The staircase balustrade is a modern replacement. The stair hall features four Ionic columns thought to be original. The basement has a brick barrel-vaulted ceiling supported by iron beams on brick pillars, similar to fireproof designs used in 19th-century textile mills and warehouses. The rest of the interior is largely a product of the extensive and sympathetic renovation work undertaken in 2006.

HISTORY

The building was originally constructed as a private house for Sir James Alderson around 1846. In the mid-19th century, Albion Street was highly desirable amongst the wealthier professional classes, and a number of physicians and surgeons working at the nearby Royal Infirmary had houses on the street. Most of these houses have since been demolished, some following bomb damage in the Second World War.

In 1864 the house was sold for £1,418 to a Methodist organisation, the Church Institute, and became a private club. An extension was added soon afterwards to provide a reading room and library. By 1900 the club had around 1,400 members. The Church Institute closed around 1960, and the building was vacant for 30 years, during which time it was subjected to vandalism. It was converted into a public house around 1990, resulting in various interior alterations and a further minor extension to the rear and side. In 2006 the building was extensively renovated with Listed Building Consent and converted into a hotel.