Bell Hotel And Kings Head

The Bell Hotel and King's Head is a building located on East St Helen Street, primarily dating from the 18th century, with some possible elements from the 17th century. The structure is timber framed and features a gallery at the rear, topped with a tiled roof. The main elevation is four storeys high and gabled towards the road, with a stucco finish.

At the gable end, there is a three-light window above a dentil cornice and frieze, which is supported by four two-storey Ionic pilasters. The second floor has two double-hung sash windows with replaced glazing bars, while the central cartouche displays fruit, scroll, and mask ornamentation along with the hotel's name. On the first floor, there are three windows; the two outer ones resemble those on the second floor, and the central window is a three-light sash, all featuring replaced glazing bars and wood cornices. The ground floor includes a three-light canted bay window with original glazing bars and a flat-arched carriage entrance to the left, along with a fascia displaying the hotel's name and a plinth.

To the right of the main section, there is a two-storey stuccoed section with a hipped roof and a plinth. This is adjoined by a three-storey gabled section, each with one double-hung sash window featuring glazing bars beneath a frieze and cornice. A wood bressumer on brackets is present above the ground floor, which also has a three-light double-hung sash window with later glazing bars. The building has historical significance, as Charles I held several councils of war at the then Bell Inn.

The Bell Hotel and King's Head is part of a group that includes Nos. 2 to 60 (even).