Sir Christopher Wren Hotel

The Sir Christopher Wren Hotel, formerly known as The Old House Hotel, dates to 1676, as recorded by a painted inscription. The building is associated with Sir Christopher Wren, who apparently resided here. The front elevation appears to be from the early 18th century, with later 18th-century glazing bar sash windows. The main block is set back from the street and is constructed of brick on a stuccoed plinth, featuring a central three-window break with a bracketed cornice and pediment. The flanking bays, each with two windows, have stone coping on offset, shallow brick parapets. A hipped slate roof tops the building, with a lunette attic window in the pediment over the centre. A glazed door is set within a wood Tuscan porch, which has two engaged columns, an entablature with a triglyph frieze, an enriched cornice, and a pediment, with moulded stone bases to the columns. There are three steps leading up to the entrance. A paved forecourt is bordered by late 18th-century wrought iron rails with urn finialed standards along the street.

A late 18th-century wing is located to the left. It has three storeys and an attic, with a stone sill course, stone cornice, and blocking course. The roof is a Mansard slate roof with two dormers. The upper floors have three windows, while the ground floor has two, all with glazing bar sashes and flat, gauged arches. The door consists of six flush panels, set within a doorcase of panelled pilasters with carved caps, an entablature with a dentil cornice, and a radiating and wreathed fanlight. The right-hand return of this wing incorporates an open loggia, providing access to a secondary entrance to the main block. It appears this wing was originally a separate house.

A circa 1800-20 extension adjoins the main block to the right. The taller, three-storey section is of painted brick and has a coping parapet and two windows with glazing bar sashes. Adjacent to this is a lower, three-storey section, with three windows; the glazing bars are intact on the second floor only. The farthest section of this wing is one storey, with a basement, and features a six-panel door flanked by engaged Doric columns in antis, with a window to the right also flanked by pilasters and a cornice over.

The interior of the main block includes an open string staircase and pedimented doorways leading to the hall and rooms, many of which have dado or full-height panelling.

The Sir Christopher Wren Hotel forms a group with numbers 49 to 51 Thames Street.