Cliftonville Hotel

Hotel, Cliftonville Hotel, Runton Road, Cromer

This is a hotel built in two phases: in 1894 by A F Scott and in 1898 by George Skipper. It is constructed of red brick, with the north front painted. The roof is a plain tile mansard with various brick stacks. The building adopts a Jacobean and Arts and Crafts style.

The building rises to three storeys with attics. The north front features a range of nine main windows at first floor level. The corner and adjoining canted bay belong to Scott's original 1894 range, whilst the remainder comes from Skipper's 1898 addition. Next to these is a tower-like entrance composition with a basket-arched entrance and another arch to its left. Above this is a two-storey canted oriel window decorated with fine decorative terracotta panels between the windows. The entrance itself consists of a glazed screen with ornamental columns on either side of the double doors, supporting an entablature bearing the hotel name in raised letters. To the right is an element with a pair of tall canted bay windows joined above by coupled bays with a pentice roof. Other windows sit within a stepped and shaped gable above. At the right end stands a full-height circular turret with a polygonal top storey and ogee roof. A similar circular and polygonal turret marks the left end of the building.

The left front, which belongs to Scott's original work and faces the town, displays a five-window range at first floor comprising canted bays with three-light windows and a central triple window. Similar fenestration continues on the other floors, whilst at attic level a large shaped facing gable contains further windows flanking a central triple dormer. A central canted subsidiary entrance is positioned here. The right end is plain. The rear incorporates various ranges and includes some leaded light windows, notably the curving oriel of the main staircase.

Interior

The principal interiors are exceptionally fine, displaying Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau styles. The main entrance features glazing with patterned stained glass in Art Nouveau style. A surviving door lobby lies beyond, with a small twentieth-century extension. In the hall beyond, a two-stage fireplace to the left is composed of coloured marbles and stone with an elaborate fire-basket and brass hood. A fine stained-glass peacock adorns the upper part of a window to the left. The impressive imperial staircase has a balustrade with turned balusters and newels crowned with ball finials. A fine oriel window to the left at the half-landing contains patterned leaded lights with stained glass. The landing screen features a balustrade and deep cornice with pendants. The present bar front, likely the original reception, has a panelled surround and glazed upper screen with patterned glazing and pendants. Beyond lies a lobby with windows and doors featuring leaded lights and stained glass, a panelled lift, and patterned leaded lights in the windows of the adjoining bistro restaurant area.

To the right of the hall is a full-height entrance doorway to the main restaurant, known as the Westcliff Room. The double doors contain rich stained glass panels featuring poppies, for which the area was famous in the nineteenth century. Above is a gallery with a balustrade decorated with pierced Art Nouveau style ornament and doors with patterned glazed panels incorporating round glass "pebbles". Beyond lies the imposing dining room. The upper lights of its many tall windows display stained glass panels in Art Nouveau style. An elaborate fireplace of coloured marbles and stone incorporates a basket grate with a copper hood. The room features a high arcaded frieze containing two internal small canted windows on the long rear wall, and a beamed ceiling with moulded subsidiary joists forming square panels. The entrance wall displays an elaborate full-length gallery with a balustrade showing similar pierced Art Nouveau decoration to that facing the hall, with pendants below and an arched screen above.

A reception room to the rear has a shaped ceiling, a simpler gallery, and twentieth-century murals of Venice. Wide corridors lead to the bedrooms, which have been altered to incorporate ensuite bathrooms; some retain original fireplaces and patterned glazing in the windows.

This distinguished and imposing hotel retains very fine interiors and fortunately continues in use for the purpose for which it was originally built.