The Beaufort Arms Court

The Beaufort Arms Court is a large building dating from the 18th century, originally built as a hotel. It is a building of group value, recognised for its imposing architecture and contribution to the surrounding area. The facade is finished in smooth stucco, painted and concealed behind parapets. The building is three storeys high with an attic storey above a prominent moulded stone cornice. Five windows are arranged across the front, with the central three set forward slightly. The central section features giant Ionic pilasters extending through the first and second floors, an impost band on the ground floor, cill bands above, and a parapet band with a raised central panel. The cornice is ornamented with a frieze of relief lettering reading "THE BEAUFORT ARMS COURT." Ground floor windows are set within segmental headed recesses and contain tripartite sash windows. A central doorway is flanked by sidelights. First floor windows at the centre and sides are set within arched recesses; the centre first-floor window has a wrought iron balcony and 6 + 6 pane French casements with 2 + 2 lights above. The windows are double-hung sashes with glazing bars: tripartite at ground floor, 6 over 6 on the first floor, 3 over 6 on the second floor and 3 over 3 in the attic. A carriage arch on the right side leads to an inn yard, featuring a pair of fine arched panelled doors.

The left return elevation includes a single-storey gabled wing added in the 20th century, with a blank wall above except for a single sash window on the attic floor. Beyond this is a further block with additional ranges of sash and tripartite windows. The courtyard elevation (facing south) originally featured a hotel entrance and a single-storey bow with a broad metal balcony, which served as a coffee room for observing coach arrivals. Above this bow are more sash windows, some tripartite. Connected to this is a three-storey wing with five windows and a central doorway, featuring 6 over 6 pane sashes on the ground floor, 9 over 6 on the first floor, and 3 over 6 windows above.

The right return exhibits a symmetrical three-bay facade with segmental arches over tripartite windows on the ground floor, and sashes above. A central doorway is accompanied by an elegantly bracketed hood. The central bay above the doorway has blind recesses, and the arched first-floor recess contains a small inserted window. Later windows are located on the interior face of the carriage arch. To the right is a two-bay three-storey wing and a six-bay carriage house range with a pent roof supported by large timber brackets, providing shelter for coaches during loading, with 6 over 6 pane sash windows above.

A further wing on the yard's left side incorporates a first-floor top-lit assembly or billiard room, characterised by a large tripartite window and a small-paned lantern. The ground floor has two shop windows and a doorway, the left-hand one dating from the 19th century and the right-hand one from the late 20th century.

The building was converted into shops and flats in 1987-9, significantly altering the internal layout. The only significant feature of the original hotel to remain is the entrance lobby and the main staircase. The top-lit staircase features a continuous handrail and stick balusters, and there are two fluted Ionic pilasters in the lobby, along with associated contemporary joinery such as six-panel doors. The upper floors have not been inspected.