Description

BIDEFORD

SS4526 NEW ROAD
842-1/6/203 (West side)
08/11/49 Tanton's Hotel

GV II

Hotel. Early C19. Solid rendered walls. Slate roofs. Centre of
front range hipped with flat top; wings and a rear range
running behind the whole building have pitched roofs paralled
to road, the rear range now heightened at left-hand end. 2
red-brick chimneys on rear range.
3 storeys, the centre of front range rising to 4 storeys.
3-window centre with slightly projecting wings, 3 windows to
left and 2 to right. 6-panelled door slightly off-centre to
right. Almost above it a round-headed semi-circular niche; it
now contains a classical figure in armour, brandishing a
sword, and is possibly a former ship's figurehead. Flanking it
are flattened bow windows rising though 3 storeys to the
bracketed eaves. Flat roof-top has patterned iron guard-rail.
Wings have similar bows in second storey, except that left
wing has a blind window in centre.
Sashes throughout; 3-paned in ground storey; 6-paned upper
sashes in the bow windows, with 4 panes in the side-lights; 3
over 6 panes in third-storey windows of the wings; 6-paned
upper sashes in middle third and fourth-storey windows of the
centre.
INTERIOR inspected only on ground storey, which appears to
have been wholly altered in late C20.
The building is shown on Wood's 1842 plan of Bideford as
'Commercial Inn'. Kelly's directory for 1856 and Billings's
directory for 1857 refer to a similar establishment, probably
this one, described variously as being in New Road and at
'Bridge end'. A photograph of 1863 shows it labelled Chester's
Commercial and Family Hotel; the whole building was then
3-storeyed. Morris's directory for 1870 lists it under its
present name and calls it a family and commercial hotel and
posting house. The building occupies a prominent waterside
position adjoining the Public Library, Town Hall and Bridge.
(Goaman M: Old Bideford and District: Bristol: 1968-: P.37).

Listing NGR: SS4542826429

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26580488

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

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)