Description

ROCHESTER HIGH STREET TQ 7468 NW 7/129 No 91 (Gordon Hotel) 24.10.50 GV II* Hotel, formerly a large town house. Late C17 with mid C18 front and C19 alterations. Red brick with burnt headers; Kent tile roof. Double-deptch (the stairs occupying half the rear roof space) with rear wing, and C19 ballroom beyond. End stacks. Front: 3 storeys, regular 4-window range. Heavy deeply overhanging moulded wooden cornice on spaced shaped modillions returns to either side. Brick plat bands between floors and another below cornice interrupted by 2nd floor window arches. Rubbed brick flat window arches. 12-pane hornless sashes in exposed frames throughout. Stucco doorcase to right with pediment on console brackets; panelled door under rectangular unglazed overlight with decorative tracery. Tripartite inner doorway, half-glazed, half-panelled with rectangular overlight. The hotel extends one window bay to the left (adjacent to No 89), also chequered brick, 2 storeys (possibly reduced) with hornless sash window to 1st floor, plat band and stone coped parapet; shop front with fluted end pilasters. Interior: the importance of the building lies primarily in the C17 dining room on the ground floor to the left of the entrance passage. Moulded cornice and two tiers of raised panels in moulded frames; these panels are marbled and have at their centre oval oil paintings (directly on to the wood) of game, fish and other edibles. Contemporary oil painting in gilded frame over end fireplace, the latter with C19 shouldered surround and inset tiles. Entrance hall with black and white chequered flag floor, round-headed archway into stairhall antechamber, with panelled imposts and keystone. Antechamber and stairhall with moulded door surrounds (some bolection) and cupboards with H-hinges. Open-well stairs (to 1st floor only) with plain newels with moulded caps and twisted balusters. At foot of stairs an open-work half door with H- hinges (perhaps a dog door). A rear stair has turned newels and splat balusters. Former rear windows now internal. C19 ballroom. Throughout the ground floor there is much C17, C18 and C19 joinery of interest. Upper floors not inspected.

Listing NGR: TQ7437668533

External Links

• Wikidata Q17551594

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Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)