White Hart Hotel

The White Hart Hotel, located at 1 St John's Street, dates back to the late 18th century. This three-storey building is constructed of white brick set on a stone plinth, featuring yellow rubbed window arches, a moulded stone cornice, and a blocking course, all topped with a slate roof.

A prominent central portico, added in the early 19th century, spans the full height of the building. It has a plain ground floor with three stone arches supported by square piers facing the street, and one similar arch at each end across the pavement. These arches uphold four Ionic stone columns, with two pilasters on the wall that rise two storeys, topped with a moulded stone entablature and a pediment featuring a full-size White Hart.

Inside the portico, the main wall is finished in painted stucco, showcasing three windows with moulded architraves, and additional cornices and pediments above the central and one other first-floor window. On the ground floor, there are two windows to the right and a set of eight-panel double doors to the left, which have egg-and-tongue enrichment and an architrave surround. The main block has three windows on each side of the portico, making a total of nine bays.

The portico is adorned with an enriched and turned wood balustrade, complemented by beautiful wrought iron scroll work side guards featuring the cypher G.R. Horn-shaped lamp brackets made of similar delicate wrought iron scroll work are positioned at the angles of the portico. A slightly later extension to the right consists of six bays with a plain painted front. Only the windows on the sides of the portico retain their original glazing bars, while the others have been restored. The interior has been significantly altered, and there is a two-bay modern extension to the south that matches the original style. The White Hart Hotel is part of a very important group of buildings that includes Nos 1 to 13 (odd).