35, 36, 37 And 39 Main Street Including 2, 4 And 6 Cross Street (Formerly Ancaster Arms Hotel)

35, 36, 37 and 39 Main Street including 2, 4 and 6 Cross Street (Formerly Ancaster Arms Hotel)

This complex creates a striking presence in the streetscape, dominated by a four-storey corner Baronial tower with strong architectural character. The main building is a restrained three-storey, five-bay Baronial block facing Main Street, dated 1893. Adjacent to this is a three-storey, four-bay wing fronting Cross Street, which may predate the principal façade and could represent the remainder of an earlier building on the site. Connected to this section is an early 20th-century two-storey, seven-bay rectangular-plan wing extending northeast along Cross Street, formerly used as kitchen and bedroom accommodation, which displays interesting composition and good detailing throughout.

The principal southwest elevation is anchored by a prominent entrance bay featuring bipartite windows on the first and second floors. The second-floor window is distinguished by a cornice with a shallow broken pediment and central ball and pedestal motif. Above sits a crow-stepped gablehead topped with a datestone incorporating two moulded shields. To the immediate left at first-floor level is a crenellated four-light mullioned and transomed oriel window supported on decorative consoles. The predominantly plain corner tower is ornamented at its fourth stage with a bartizan turret positioned at the west corner, rising above a crenellated parapet. A blank plaque sits beneath the bipartite window on the southwest elevation. The tower features a rounded quoin with stop-chamfering at the fourth stage.

A small single-bay link connecting the three-storey northwest wing to the longer two-storey wing features an elaborately carved frieze of intertwined garlands. The two-storey northwest wing facing Cross Street is asymmetrically composed with simple corniced doorpieces at either end. Bipartite windows occupy the outer bays; the left example is set into a canted two-storey, three-bay section that wraps around the northeast elevation. A segmental round-arched door is positioned at the centre left. First-floor bipartite windows are surmounted by gableheads; the right example is shaped in Dutch style and likely once had a stack to its left. Both gables carry ball finials on corbels, with that on the right sitting higher above its gablehead. The two breaking-eaves windows between the gables feature stylised moulded keystone motifs in their dormerheads. The northeast side elevation shows a shaped gablet with a missing ball finial (as of 2004).

The rear elevation of the main block and northwest wing is predominantly plain and has undergone numerous alterations. A large single-storey dining hall formerly stood in the courtyard area, accessible from all parts of the building, but was demolished in the later 20th century. The main block retains a rectangular-plan advanced stair tower with long bipartite windows to its upper section. At the northeast end of the northwest wing stands a crow-stepped gable with modest scrolled skewputts; adjacent is a breaking-eaves window with crow-stepped gablet.

At the time of site visit in 2004, access was limited to the ground floor of the northwest wing, which had been modernised for retail use with no original interior features remaining. The owner reported that the majority of interior features in the main block were lost following its use as soldier accommodation during the Second World War.

The buildings are constructed of rough red and yellow bull-faced sandstone to the main block with thin render finish to the northwest wing. Door and window openings are dressed with polished sandstone. The two-storey northeast wing is of red bull-faced sandstone with polished sandstone dressings. Windows throughout are predominantly plate glass timber sash and case; the northwest wing features plate glass lower sections with multi-paned upper timber sash and case windows. The principal elevation has a twin-leaf timber twelve-panelled door, whilst the northwest wing has a pair of timber boarded doors with multi-paned upper sections. Roofs are of grey slate with pitched profile and deep overhanging eaves to the rear of the two-storey wing to the southeast. The majority of chimney stacks are missing apart from a gable apex stack to the three-storey northeast section. Cast iron rainwater goods remain throughout.