White Hart Hotel

White Hart Hotel, Market Place, Spalding

Hotel with a circa 1500 timber-framed core, featuring a facade constructed in two phases: mid-18th century and late 18th century. The building is timber-framed with a stuccoed facade and Welsh slate roofs.

The facade comprises 3 storeys and 7 bays, plus a 2-storey section with attic to the right of similar overall height. A complex range of various builds is set around a courtyard to the rear.

The 7-bay section is late 18th century work. It has raised quoins, floor-bands, and architraved windows with projecting sills. At the time of survey, ground floor windows were boarded-up. A carriage entrance between bays 4 and 5 features a basket arch covered by a Doric porch with an incomplete entablature. The first floor contains 12-pane sashes, some boarded-up. False second-floor blind windows sit beneath a corniced parapet that conceals a steeply-pitched roof.

The 2-bay section to the right dates from the mid-18th century. The ground floor has tall windows with architraves, pulvinated friezes and cornices. A floor band beneath the first floor windows contains 12-pane sashes in architraves with double keystones, with another band beneath a coped parapet. A gabled dormer features a 4-pane sash. A large brick stack stands at the junction with the lower 7-bay section.

The interior contains significant medieval timber framing. The front range includes 4 bays of timber framing dating from the late 14th to early 15th century, contained within the 2 bays to the left of the passageway, above it, and one bay to the right. The left end wall features square framing with a corner post with curved braces, 2 intermediate posts, a first floor bressumer tie beam and 2 intermediate rails. The ground floor room has 2 elaborately moulded cross beams with an acanthus-leaf carved timber boss at the intersection. The tie beam marking the end of this bay is also moulded and carved with small decorative panels. The room above is modern. The bay to the right has full-height square framing in the first floor cross wall with daub infill, and above a crown post truss. This roof continues for a further 2 bays, both with crown post trusses; the centre one has additional braces in scissor form. A few rafters survive with fire-damaged ends. The rear wing to this range contains later 16th to 17th century framing with straight braces. A late 17th century turned banister stair is present.