History

Constructed c.1880 as part of the initial development of Colwyn Bay as a seaside holiday resort and possibly to the designs of Booth, Chadwick and Porter, architects of Colwyn Bay and Manchester. They were the principal architects to the Colwyn Bay and Pwllycrochan Estate Company, who were largely responsible for the development of Colwyn Bay after 1875. The Imperial Hotel is not shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1875 but early photographs of the town show the laying out of Station Road with the Imperial in place and the Central Hotel at the south end and open land in between which was infilled in 1887 with the construction of the Queens Buildings. During WWII the Imperial was like many of the hotels in the town requisitioned for use by the Ministry of Food. From 1979-85 the hotel is said to have housed the workers from the construction of the Colwyn Bay bypass section of the North Wales Expressway (A55).

Exterior

Commercial building in French renaissance style on a corner site, main façade to Princes Drive with return façade to Station Road. A balanced composition which comprises the main (Imperial Hotel) building with angled corner bay and 3 and 5 bay elevations to Princes Drive and Station Road respectively. Attached 2 bay end brick blocks to both elevations.

Imperial Hotel of roughcast brick with stone dressings. Steeply pitched slate roof, hipped at angle, shallow bracketed eaves and decorative ridge cresting. Gabled dormers with decorated bargeboards with finials. Red brick ridge stacks with yellow brick dressings and decorative pots. Paired plain sash windows with arched heads, architrave surrounds and projecting cills. Continuous cill course to first and second floors. 3 storey and attic. 3-bay Princes Drive elevation with to right 2 storey projecting bay window of 3 lights and single narrow side lights. To central bay double door with pilasters, formerly with stone portico. Display window with cornice and fascia to ground floor left, continuous from corner bay and Station Road façade. Gable dormers, paired to right hand bay. 2 ridge stacks. Elevation to Station Road of 5 bays (2 2 1) with advanced outer bays and then angled corner bay. Central recessed bay with to left full height oriel under hipped gable. Altered shop front to left, and hotel display window (continuation from Princes Drive) to remainder with wide doorway to left and framed glazing elsewhere. 3 ridge stacks. Corner bay formerly with door, now window to ground floor.

End blocks to both Princes Drive and Station Road of plain brick and slate roofs as before. Both of 2 bays and set slightly higher with plain eaves and expressed geometric framing as imitation timber framing. Paired large pane sash windows with square heads and projecting cills. Plain gable dormers. Princes Drive has castellated brick bay window to ground floor, single window to left and door to right. Station Road has oriel window to first floor of left bay and original shop front to ground floor.

Interior

Ground floor only inspected. Much altered. Upper floors not inspected but said to retain in part the original plan form and constructional and decorative features which are part of the special interest of the building.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special architectural interest as a good example of a large late C19 combined commercial building, designed with a strong unifying appearance but with a subtle distinctive emphasis to individual parts of the building. It survives relatively unaltered and is also important for its historic interest as a good example of the first phase of development of Colwyn Bay as a resort. Group value with listed items nearby.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)