Great Western Hotel, Newquay
| Great Western Hotel | |
|---|---|
 Front of the hotel | |
  Location within Cornwall | |
| Alternative names | The Great Western |
| General information | |
| Address | Great Western Hotel, 36-37 Cliff Road, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2NE |
| Town or city | Newquay, Cornwall |
| Coordinates | 50°24′59″N 5°04′31″W / 50.416265°N 5.075347°W |
| Opened | 1879 |
| Owner | St Austell Brewery |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Silvanus Trevail |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 66 |
| Website | |
| https://www.greatwesternnewquay.co.uk/ | |
The Great Western Hotel is the oldest purpose-built hotel in Newquay, Cornwall.[1] The hotel was originally designed by the Cornish architect Silvanus Trevail and first opened in April 1879.[2][3][4] The hotel is built in a prominent position overlooking Great Western Beach.
The hotel has 66 rooms, some with sea-views.[5]
History
[edit]
In December 1877, the local newspaper reported that the owner, had commenced building the hotel, near Newquay railway station,[6]
In January 1879 the hotel was completed and it officially opened on 7 April 1879.[7] It was the first in a string of hotels designed to appeal to the renewed interest in Cornwall as a winter resort for the middle classes.[8]
Royal Visit
[edit]On a tour of Cornwall in May 1926, The Prince (Edward VIII) met the Duchy tenants at the hotel, and took tea with them in company with Sir Walter Peacock, Mr. Webster, Mr. Stainer, Duchy stewards.[9][1]
In 2024, a commemorative plaque was unveiled to honor the building as Newquay's first hotel and its original architect, Silvanus Trevail.[10]
Architecture
[edit]
The original 1879 building resembled a large country house with pitched roofs, gable ends and attic windows.[11][12][13] In 1931 the original modest two storey gabled building was altered beyond recognition[11][3] to the current symmetrical art-deco style building, consisting of three storeys with smooth external render, painted frontages, symmetrical sash windows and rusticated quoin detailing to corners.[14][15][1]
The Hotel is recognised as a historic building and is recorded on The Historic Environment Record of Cornwall.[13]
Great Western Beach
[edit]Before the railway came to Newquay in 1876,[16] the beach was known as Bothwick Sands. It wasn't until the Great Western Hotel was built in 1879, (overlooking the beach) that it gradually became known as Great Western Beach, although on many Ordnance Survey maps and holiday guides until the 1960s both names were mentioned. Despite the name being linked to the hotel, the beach is a public amenity.[17]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c "Step into our history: The Great Western | Stay in Newquay | Pub History | St Austell Brewery". staustellbrewery.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Newquay Characteristics Study - Cornwall Council" (PDF). 2003.
- ^ a b "Newquay Council" (PDF). 2019.
- ^ "Newsletter No.16". Cornish Buildings Group 'Buildings at Risk' Project. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ^ "Great Western Hotel Newquay" (PDF).
- ^ 'Newquay News' -Royal Cornwall Gazette - Friday 21 December 1877
- ^ "Great Western Hotel Newquay 1909 (The Common Room) Page 4 RootsChat.Com". www.rootschat.com. Retrieved 6 December 2019.[better source needed]
- ^ bwdeacon (7 July 2020). "Tourism: cure or curse?". Cornish studies resources. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ Western Morning News - Friday 21 May 1926
- ^ "Weekly Digest". staustellbrewery.cmail19.com. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ a b Ronald, Perry (29 November 2008). Silvanus Trevail: Cornish Architect and Entrepreneur. United Kingdom: Francis Boutle. p. 7. ISBN 978-1903427439.
- ^ Ronald, Perry; Harradence, Hazel (2008). Silvanus Trevail: Cornish Architect and Entrepreneur. UK: Francis Boutle Publishers. p. 78. ISBN 978-1903427439.
- ^ a b "Heritage Gateway - Results". www.heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ^ "Design Statement Newquay buildings" (PDF). Cornwall Council. 2006.
- ^ "WALKING TOUR OF NEWQUAY" (PDF). Twentieth Century Society South West Regional Group. 2018.
- ^ "Newquay Train Station | Find Newquay Station Info | Trainline". www.thetrainline.com. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Great Western Beach". Newquay. Retrieved 1 October 2021.