Burgh Island Hotel

Private guest house, now hotel, built in 1929 for Archibald Nettlefold by an architect whose name is not known. The building is constructed of reinforced concrete, rendered, with steel-framed windows and asphalt flat roofs. A copper cupola tops the lift shaft.

The hotel has a complex T-plan form. Four storeys are built into the sloping ground at the south end. Most windows are narrow-light steel casements on a 500 mm module, some with top lights, though large units serve the public rooms. A fully glazed palm court occupies the internal angle to the south east. The captain's cabin of HMS Ganges has been built on to the east end of the north block.

The north front faces towards the mainland and features projecting public rooms under a flat terrace, followed by a suite of public rooms with large glazed openings. Above these run two continuous balconies serving set-back ranges of nine windows. At the right end stands a half-cylindrical unit with small openings at first floor level and a small flue at the corner. The left return displays the attached captain's cabin below three windows arranged in two levels. The right return has small openings in a plain wall and a projecting lofty stair tower with a tall slit window, returning to the main entrance on the set-back east section. A heavy concrete lattice balustrade tops the balcony over the glazed main doors, which are flanked by curved service units with small square windows at two levels. Above this, the south wing has continuous balconies at two levels serving a set-back range of six windows, positioned above large glazed openings to the public rooms. The plain south end returns to the inner faces of the north and south wings with standard windows at two levels. Two small-pane casements sit in a lower flat-roofed unit adjoining the lift tower, which is topped by a tent-like copper-clad roof over an open loggia. The internal angle contains a large glazed palm court with a quadrant wall to the south and east.

The interior retains much original Art Deco decoration in the public rooms. The main Function Room features a large engraved mirror and a characteristic continuous lighting trough. The staircase is lined with black Vitrolite and has two ladder radiators topped by Art Deco light fittings, along with many original square light fittings. The main rooms facing north have had some aluminium sliding windows inserted. Service basement doors include typical porthole openings. The balconies have good quarry tile pavings. Much of the interior fitting and finishing appears to be original work. The palm court glazed roof features radial bars and scale-like patterns in the peacock dome.

This is an advanced building for its date in England, designed in the International style. The reinforced concrete structure is reported to remain in very good condition, and inspection suggests a very well built and maintained building, although it lacks the clarity of the best examples of the movement. Careful restoration was undertaken in the 1980s.

The building's original purpose was as a weekend party venue. Notable visitors included Agatha Christie, who set two of her books on the island, Edward, Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, Noel Coward, and other inter-war personalities, all guests of Mr Nettlefold.