Crown Hotel

The Crown Hotel, built around 1847 on the site of an earlier inn from approximately 1740, features Italianate extensions added to the east and west around 1870, designed by J H Hurst and constructed by George Dawson.

This classical building is three storeys tall with attics, showcasing a projecting three-window center and one-window wings. Originally, it had an additional window bay at each end and a mansard roof, which was replaced in 1870 with a flatter roof and a balustraded parapet. The 1870 extensions are also three storeys high, featuring three bays and a tower with a cupola at the east end. The building is constructed of grit stone ashlar, with the extensions featuring a rusticated ground floor and pilasters at the quoins.

The central three-bay section has pilasters that rise through the first and second floors, supporting a continuous entablature with attic windows in the frieze and balustraded parapets. The first-floor architraved sash windows have console bracketed cornices and a central segmental pediment, while the ground floor features triangular pediments. The extensions have three-light windows with splayed bays that rise through the ground and first floors, complete with arched lights and cornices, and blind balustraded balconies on the first floor. A four-storey tower with a circular cupola, which has lost its dome, is also part of the design. Additionally, bow window additions from around 1870 are present at the rear and sides of the building.

The hotel features an interesting Italianate entrance hall and dining room, along with an open well staircase that has a cast iron balustrade. The east facade was further remodeled around 1899 with the addition of a tower designed by W J Morley.

The Crown Hotel is part of a group that includes Nos 1 to 3 (consecutive) and the Royal Pump Room Museum.