Victoria Park Hotel

BARROW IN FURNESS

SD27SW VICTORIA ROAD 708-1/4/143 (South West side) 06/05/76 Victoria Park Hotel

II

Hotel. c1900. By Watson and Curry of Newcastle (plan). Red brick, the upper storey pebbledashed, red sandstone dressings; graduated slate roof. 2 storeys and attic, 8 bays with 5-bay right return to Oxford Street and 3:3 bay left return to Kendal Street. Chamfered plinth. Pilasters support basket arch to each bay; ashlar imposts, hoodmoulds and ashlar keystones. Main entrance to bay 6 has door and side-lights in architraves under swan-neck pediment and cartouche; covering this is a stained-glass canopy supported by cast-iron columns on corniced, ashlar piers; arched front panel has tracery, radial glazing bars and torchere finial; curved roof with fishscale panels to each side. Bay 2 has panelled door and decorative overlight in quoined surround with cornice on brackets; other bays have transomed 3-light casements; continuous cornice. 1st floor: sashes (with glazing bars to their upper frames) in architraves with moulded sills; bays 3 & 6 have mullioned 3-light windows flanked by corbelled pilaster strips; bays 1 & 8 have single sashes whilst the remaining bays have paired sashes. Angled corner to right with 3-sided window in same style. Rectangular-section fallpipes; rain-water heads in the form of winged beasts. Eaves cornice above which bays 3 & 6 rise as half-timbered gables each with 2-light casement with glazing bars. Between the gables are three 3-light dormers with flat roofs; matching dormers to bays 2 & 7. Angled corner rises as an octagonal turret having cornice and scalloped parapet with ball finials; recessed wooden cupola with weathervane. Main roof is hipped and has terracotta ridges and finials; tall, corniced ridge stacks and front-slope stack between bays 7 & 8. Rear (facing walled garden): 5-bay loggia with slender cast-iron columns and ornate spandrels; 5 blind basket arches to wall on right. Right return: 2-light windows within round arches; 'BILLIARD ROOM' and 'SMOKE ROOM' etched on glass. 2-bay shaped gable on right has scrolled supporters with ball finials and central stack with terracotta panel depicting plant in vase. Left return: 3 bays as front; 3 later bays of 3 storeys with vehicle entrance having keyed, round arch. INTERIOR: dining-room ceiling has panels and ribbons. Cast-iron spiral staircase rises from kitchen to attic. Plans are dated 1898 and differ slightly: the glazed canopy and 3-bay addition to left return are not shown; the octagonal turret treatment differs. The drawing is by Watson and Curry; the application (1899) by Curry and Davidson. (Building Plans Register: 1899-: 4031).

Listing NGR: SD2032370484