The Star Hotel

The Star Hotel is a building with a complex history, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, with a largely 18th-century front. It is a significant example of a coaching inn that has been continuously updated to remain competitive within the hotel trade.

The layout of the building has been extensively altered over time, making its original form difficult to discern. The main part of the building has three full-height gabled sections at the rear, and a central carriageway through the ground floor, leading to a long, narrow courtyard with wings on either side. The wing to the right is divided into three stepped gabled sections, one with a steep-pitched roof. There is no main staircase; instead, a dog-leg staircase is located in the left half, and a second stair is present on the right side of the building.

The facade is three stories high with four wide bays. It features a plinth, pilasters, a cornice, and a shallow parapet. The ground floor has four-pane sash windows to bays 1, 3, and 4, and a wide elliptical archway in bay 2 providing access to the courtyard. Above the archway is a projecting timber hood covered with lead, supporting a wrought-iron balcony with brackets and lanterns. Upper floor windows are sash windows with exposed sash boxes and large square panes (12 panes to the first floor, 9 to the second). A rendered panel between the windows displays the words "Star Hotel" in bold, sans-serif capitals. A hanging sign is positioned between bays 2 and 3.

The wing to the left of the courtyard includes a triple 12-pane sash with wide mullion boxes, a paired horizontal sliding sash, and two modified horizontal sashes at the first floor. The wing to the right has a 16-pane sash and a paired 9-pane sash with small panes and some original glass.

The reception area on the front left side features three 16th-century moulded beams and a 20th-century brick fireplace. Behind the reception area is an 18th or early 19th-century dog-leg staircase with turned newel posts and stick balustrades. A low-ceilinged lounge at the rear has 20th-century panelling and three 17th-century stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. A cellar beneath this area contains brick and stone piers supporting a central beam. On the ground floor of the front right section, there are two deep chamfered lateral beams with later props. A large 16-pane sash window is located in the rear wing near the staircase, and the roof above room 20 retains original purlins and wind bracing.

The courtyard is paved with large lias setts, many polished from long use.