Merlin Court Hotel

Merlin Court Hotel, formerly known as Northcote and Torre House, is a pair of large semi-detached houses that have been converted into a hotel. Built in 1872 or slightly earlier, the structure features squared local stone rubble with dressed limestone details. The roof is slated with bargeboarded gables and has a red brick chimney. Designed in a picturesque Tudor style, the building has two storeys with a garret and semi-basement. The windows and doorways are adorned with hood moulds, mostly set in shallow pointed arches, and the parapets include open quatrefoil panels. The front door of the left-hand house features coloured leaded glass. On the right side wall, there is a square, four-storeyed turret. The south front, which faces Torrs Park, has balconies with patterned iron railings and twisted iron columns. Additionally, there is a conservatory with Gothic glazing at the southeast corner. The houses are depicted in an engraving from 1872.