Allerdale Hotel

The Allerdale Hotel is a large detached villa, built around 1875-76, and later extended to the rear (north) in the 20th century. It’s constructed with solid walls, originally stuccoed, with a hipped slate roof and stacks that formerly had shafts. The building is in an Italianate style.

The layout is approximately rectangular, with the main rooms facing south. An entrance on the east side leads into a large hall with a staircase rising to the north. A three-storey belvedere is situated to the north-west.

The front (south) elevation is two and three storeys high, with deep eaves supported by modillion brackets and a dentil course below. It has a regular, yet asymmetrical, three-bay facade, with the central bay projecting under a pedimented gable featuring a wreath design. Rusticated pilasters at the outer angles feature Composite pilasters with cornices on modillion brackets to the first floor, topped by an entablature with faceted panels and clustered composite pilasters. A shallow, projecting Doric porch sits in the centre, with paired columns, an entablature, and a modillion cornice, topped by a balustraded parapet. A 19th-century half-glazed front door with etched glass and a deep overlight sits within the porch. Above the door is a round-headed window with a moulded architrave and keyblock, flanked by paired Composite pilasters. The left-hand bay has a projecting stack with rusticated quoins on the ground floor and an incised panel on the first floor. The right-hand bay has one window on each of the ground and first floors, both with proud architraves. Most windows contain likely original four-pane plate glass. The other elevations are similar in style. The belvedere has a hipped roof with deep eaves and panelled chimney shafts with bracketed cornices at each corner. The second-storey tower elevations feature round-headed triplet windows with moulded architraves and keyblocks.

Inside, original features include a spacious open-well staircase with turned balusters, deep relief plaster cornices, and original joinery. The layout and style are very similar to the Howden Court Hotel, located to the east. The Allerdale Hotel is one of the grandest late 19th-century Italianate villas in Torquay.