Description

WEYMOUTH

SY6880SW GREENHILL
873-1/16/178 (East side)
18/06/70 No.24
(Formerly Listed as:
GREENHILL
No.24
Grand Hotel)

GV II

Large detached house, formerly the Grand Hotel. c1840, with
alterations and internal remodelling by Sir Aston Webb c1900.
Rendered, slate roofs.
PLAN: the house is set well up and back from the promenade, at
an angle with the street, and with its main front facing SE
across Weymouth Bay. Parallel but offset ranges, with the
principal suite of 3 reception rooms facing the Bay, and the
staircase and lesser rooms on the street side.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, attic, and basement, which develops as a
full storey on the seaward side. The principal, seaward, range
is in 2+1+2 windows, with the central bay stepped forward
slightly, a lofty Ionic colonnade to the piano nobile carrying
a continuous first-floor balcony, with decorative railing
returned at the ends, and a channelled basement storey. Three
6-pane sash flat-roofed dormers above deep 50-pane sashes, at
first floor, taken to floor level, and covering 2-light
casements set back in reveals.
The main floor has large 4-pane sashes which slide up into a
box or down below sill level, in front of paired 2-light
french doors set back in reveals; the central opening is
flanked by deep plain niches, and there is a single matching
window returned at each end.
At either end of the loggia are full-height 44-pane side
screens closing the cheeks between the end columns and wall
responds, and a decorative rail is set between the columns at
the front. The basement has a large multiple sash to the
right, and 3 pairs of C20 French doors. A deep plat band at
ground-floor level, a moulded edge to the first-floor balcony,
and moulded eaves cornice with modillions above a pulvinated
frieze, carried round the whole building. The roof is hipped,
with an eaves stack to the left return wall.
Set back to the right, the rear range has 2 glazing-bar sashes
in moulded architraves and a blocked doorway; a single-storey
flat-roofed C20 extension has been inserted to the re-entrant
angle.
The street front is in 4+1 windows, the last bay being set

back, all 12-pane sashes with moulded stone architraves, but a
Palladian window with stone pilasters architrave and keystone
in bay 4, above the recessed doorway, which has a pair of
fielded 3-panel doors plus side-lights flanked by unfluted
heavy Tuscan columns, reminiscent of the work of Ledoux, all
on 5 steps with nosings. To the left of the doorway is a
length of spearhead railings to the sunk basement area.
Centred to the roof is a small octagonal lantern.
INTERIOR: the main open-well staircase has a wide
half-landing, and a broad moulded and wreathed hardwood
handrail on Doric balusters, one to each tread. The open
string has scrolled ends to the treads. At the upper level a
very wide elliptical arch gives to a large landing. The
ground-floor central reception room is square, with a moulded
cornice, and white marble fire surround; the door from the
entrance hall has been blocked.
The deeper room to the S has a complex embellished cornice,
and a richly modelled fire surround with Corinthian pilasters.
The room to the N has a similar enriched cornice, and an
Adamesque fire surround with Ionic columns and a fluted
frieze. These rooms have panelled window reveals, and inner
casements with margin bars and fluted architraves. The outer
sashes slide up into recesses in the wall to give clear access
to the verandah.
There are 2 service stairs, one in stone, the other wood, both
straight flight with winders. The panelled doors on the piano
nobile generally have fluted architraves stopped to embossed
square blockings.
A very grand house, which underwent some modifications when
used as a hotel, but still retaining most of its original
detail inside and out. Built as a private house, at one time
it was occupied by the antiquary, Vere Oliver (Ricketts).
(RCHME: Dorset, South-East: London: 1970-: 357; Ricketts E:
The Buildings of Old Weymouth: Melcombe Regis and Westham:
Weymouth: 1976-: 150).

Listing NGR: SY6830480096

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26613671

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

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair