History

Early/mid C19, possibly c1835 and designed by G V Maddox. The balcony, looking onto the main square of the town, is likely to have been used for electioneering in the C19, this one for the Duke of Beaufort and the Whig interest. The hotel was closed and was then converted to shops and flats in 1987-9 by the architect Graham Frecknall.

Exterior

Faced with smooth stucco and painted, the roof is hidden behind parapets. Three storeys and attic storey above the cornice. Five windows with the central three set slightly forward. This central block has giant Ionic pilasters through the first and second floors. Impost band on the ground floor, cill bands above, parapet band with raised central panel. Moulded stone cornice above frieze of relief lettering THE BEAUFORT ARMS, with COURT added to the right. Windows on ground floor in segmental headed recesses, tripartite sashes, central door with sidelights. First floor windows at centre and also at sides in arched recesses. Centre first floor window has a wrought iron balcony and 6 6 pane French casements with 2 2 lights above. 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. Carriage arch to right leading to inn yard; this has a pair of fine arched panelled doors in situ.
Left return elevation has a C20 single storey gabled wing attached, blank wall above apart from a single sash window on the attic floor. Recess behind and then an additional block with more ranges of sash and tripartite windows.
The courtyard elevation has (looking south), to the left the former hotel entrance, then a single storey bow with broad metal balcony over, this would have been the coffee room for watching the coach arrivals. Above this are more sash windows, some tripartite. Beyond this is a three storey wing with five windows and central doorway; 6 over 6 pane sashes on the ground floor, 9 over 6 on the first floor and 3 over 6 above.
The right return has a whole symmetrical 3-bay façade with segmental arches over tripartite windows on the ground floor and sashes above as before. Central doorway with elegantly bracketed hood. The central bay above the doorway has blind recesses, the arched first floor one has a small inserted window. Later windows in the floors above the interior face of the carriage arch. To the right again, a 2-bay three storey wing and then a 6-bay carriage house range with a pent roof on large timber brackets for sheltering the coaches as they were loading, 6 over 6 pane sash windows above.
Further down the yard on the left is an added wing with a first floor top-lit assembly or billiard room with large tripartite window and small paned lantern in the roof above. The ground floor has two shop windows and a doorway, the left hand one is C19 the right hand one late C20.

Interior

The conversion into shops and flats in 1987-9 has altered the internal planning considerably and the only significant feature of the hotel to remain is said to be the entrance lobby and the main staircase. The top-lit staircase has a continuous handrail and stick balusters and there are two fluted Ionic pilasters in the lobby and other associated contemporary jonery such as 6-panel doors. Upper floors not seen.

Reasons for Listing

Included in a higher grade as part of an exceptional early C19 architectural development in the town centre.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• The Beaufort Arms Hotel at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q926350

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)