24, Greenhill

Large detached house, formerly the Grand Hotel, located in Weymouth. Built circa 1840, with alterations and internal remodelling by Sir Aston Webb around 1900. Rendered façades with slate roofs.

The house is positioned well back from the promenade, set at an angle to the street, with its main front facing south-east across Weymouth Bay. The plan comprises parallel but offset ranges, with the principal suite of three reception rooms facing the Bay and the staircase and lesser rooms on the street side.

The seaward elevation displays two storeys, an attic storey, and a basement which develops as a full storey on the seaward side. The principal range is arranged in a 2+1+2 window pattern, with the central bay stepped forward slightly. A lofty Ionic colonnade to the piano nobile carries a continuous first-floor balcony with decorative railing returned at the ends, and a channelled basement storey beneath. Above the colonnade are three six-pane sash flat-roofed dormers, with deep 50-pane sashes at first-floor level taken to floor level, and 2-light casements set back in reveals behind. The main floor has large 4-pane sashes which slide up into a box or down below sill level, positioned in front of paired 2-light french doors set back in reveals. The central opening is flanked by deep plain niches, with a single matching window at each end. At either end of the loggia are full-height 44-pane side screens closing between the end columns and wall responds, with decorative rail set between the columns at the front. The basement contains a large multiple sash to the right and three pairs of 20th-century French doors. A deep plat band runs at ground-floor level, with a moulded edge to the first-floor balcony and moulded eaves cornice featuring modillions above a pulvinated frieze, carried around the whole building. The roof is hipped, with an eaves stack to the left return wall.

The rear range, set back to the right, has two glazing-bar sashes in moulded architraves and a blocked doorway. A single-storey flat-roofed 20th-century extension has been inserted to the re-entrant angle.

The street front is arranged in 4+1 windows, the last bay being set back, all 12-pane sashes with moulded stone architraves. Bay 4 features a Palladian window with stone pilasters, architrave and keystone, positioned above the recessed doorway. The doorway itself comprises a pair of fielded 3-panel doors plus side-lights, flanked by unfluted heavy Tuscan columns reminiscent of the work of Ledoux, all set on 5 steps with nosings. To the left of the doorway is a length of spearhead railings to the sunk basement area. Centred to the roof is a small octagonal lantern.

The interior contains a main open-well staircase with a wide half-landing and a broad moulded and wreathed hardwood handrail on Doric balusters, one to each tread. The open string features scrolled ends to the treads. At the upper level a very wide elliptical arch opens to a large landing. The ground-floor central reception room is square, with a moulded cornice and white marble fire surround; the door from the entrance hall has been blocked. The deeper room to the south has a complex embellished cornice and a richly modelled fire surround with Corinthian pilasters. The room to the north has a similar enriched cornice and an Adamesque fire surround with Ionic columns and a fluted frieze. These rooms have panelled window reveals and inner casements with margin bars and fluted architraves. The outer sashes slide up into recesses in the wall to give clear access to the verandah. There are two service stairs, one in stone and the other in wood, both straight flight with winders. Panelled doors on the piano nobile generally have fluted architraves stopped to embossed square blockings.

This is a very grand house which underwent some modifications when used as a hotel, but retains most of its original detail inside and out. It was built as a private house and was at one time occupied by the antiquary Vere Oliver (Ricketts).