History

Hotel, originally a terrace of houses of circa 1835, built by Andrew Reed, known as Belmont Houses, with a two-storey range to the E apparently extended and remodelled in earlier C20. An engraving of 1832 by Reinagle shows the roof being put on Belmont Houses. Later they seem to have been known as Belmont Terrace, one being owned by the Earl of Limerick who had the Belmont Arch cut through the town walls for carriage access. No 2 was burnt in 1869. No 1 was known as Belmont Towers in 1904 when offered to let, and this included rooms built into a round tower of the medieval walls. It had 13 bedrooms and an alcoved drawing room. It was sold with Nos 2 and 3 to become the Imperial Hotel in 1905, lavishly renovated by Maples of London for the proprietor, M. Thierry-Mougnard. Further alterations by Maples are recorded in 1907, including a smoking-room in the style of Henri II of France. In 1912 a fire destroyed the roof and upper floors. A lounge over the clifftop was added in 1923. It was heavily altered in the later C20.
Old photographs show the sea front with the large 4-bay 5-storey range to left, and 3 narrow houses to right, 2 4-storey as at present and the last 3-storey 4-bay with a pedimental gable over right 3 bays and E gable-end with chimney, quite different from the present 2-storey end with parapet which is probably added.

Exterior

Hotel, painted stucco with slate roofs. From W end: the first block has facade to The Paragon of 5 storeys, 4 bays, with parapet, modillion cornice below attic, and C20 windows throughout replacing sashes, square to attic floor. Sill band to 3rd floor, C20 altered ground floor with awning. The W end wall is built on to the medieval town wall. Three storeys above wall with parapet, 2 bays to left with C20 windows in plain eared surrounds and sill band. Stucco half-round tower to right above medieval bastion, with small round arched window to each floor and stucco corbelled embattled parapet.
Second block from W is 4-storey, 2 bays, with attic sill band, moulded cornice and parapet. C20 windows in original openings and 2 C20 doors to ground floor, under C20 awning.
Third block is windowless to N but with 2-window range of C20 windows replacing sashes in E return wall. Ground floor left arched doorway.
Fourth is long 2-storey, 6-bay range with parapet, entablature with modillion cornice, and thin band over each floor. Narrow or wider 4-pane sash windows in shouldered surrounds. From right end, broad sash over narrow sash and plain door in angle; tall stair window with patterned glazing bars, sill below ground floor band and 3 long radiating voussoirs up to first floor band; broad sash over broad doorway with moulded cornice on console brackets, the door arched with sidelights and overlight; then 2 narrow sashes each floor; and finally a broad sash each floor. E end wall has cornice and parapet, but C20 inserted window set to right on each of basement, ground and first floors.
Rear of each section, all with basement floors opening into C20 flat-roofed restaurant out to cliff edge. 1. 5-storey, 4-bay, with cornice under attic, and stepped parapet. C20 plastic or metal windows, 4 to 3rd and attic floors, 2 oriels at 2nd floor, 2 big C20 windows at 1st floor and C20 extension to ground floor. 2. 4-storey with centre 3-storey canted bay with 8-20-8-pane sash windows, and 3rd floor pair of 16-pane sashes under moulded cornice and parapet. 3. 4-storey, 2-bay with hipped roof behind parapet and renewed 16-pane sashes over ground floor C20 canted bay. 4. Mixed 2-storey range with parapets, apparently of several builds, in 3 parts: first a C20 canted 2-storey bay window of 8-12-8-pane sashes, then 2 very broad C20 8-32-8-pane square bay-windows, E return wall and final section set back have cornice as on E end wall, and 2-window range. The C20 basement has massive rubble stone retaining wall up from rock below and 2 long window bands separated by 3 tower-like stone bays each with 2 long vertical windows.

Reasons for Listing

Included despite alteration for very prominent seafront position and for tower on medieval walls.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29485479

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)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy