Hermes Hotel

The Hermes Hotel is a building that dates back to the 17th century and has undergone several alterations since then. Originally, it was a two-bay, lobby-entry house facing south, likely constructed as a timber-framed structure before being re-faced with brick in the 18th century. During the 18th century, a larger brick range was added to the rear. In the early 19th century, the current more formal and symmetrical front, which faces Portsmouth Road, was introduced. This front is made of brown brick, stands two storeys high, and is five bays wide, featuring a central doorway that is sheltered by a later 19th-century porch. The building has square gauged brick-headed sash windows and a parapet. The roofs of the two earlier sections are tiled and hipped at their western ends.