The former Ocean Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

On the N side of the junction of The Croft and The Norton.

History

Former hotel, now unoccupied, probably built in earlier to mid C19 as Croft Cottage, a picturesque Tudor style 2-storey house, given an attic storey apparently reusing original roof detail in the earlier C20, possibly when converted to the Bay Hotel. Later the Ocean Hotel. Roofs renewed (bargeboards reinstated) and chimneys rebuilt in late C20. Occupied by Elizabeth Howell, aged 99, in 1881.

Exterior

Former hotel, unpainted roughcast with red pantile roofs overhanging at eaves, with some fishscale banding, and large red brick chimneys. Tiles and chimneys replaced 1999. Basement, two storeys and attic, L-plan with ornate fretted bargeboards and Tudor-style doors and windows. Chimneys on ridge of crosswing and 2 on rear N wall. Windows are long casements to main floors, short to attics, with fretwork cusping to top panes, and stucco hoodmoulds. Attic hoodmoulds are slightly heavier, possibly the others are replaced, and fretwork cusping of window heads may not be original except on first floor casement pair of crosswing.
S front has big crosswing to left of 2-bay main range with porch in angle and gabled full-height bay to right, Crosswing has different floor levels, with high basement. Two-light windows to each floor except basement which has 4-pane sash. Windowless right return wall. Main has projecting bay to right with bargeboarded gable, triple casement to ground and first floor, the first floor window longer, and casement pair to gable. In angle to left, painted stucco porch with broad square-headed door, octagonal angle shafts, and parapet with chamfered coping. Angle shafts have plinth and neck-ring. Timber Gothic doorcase with thin Gothic panels and quatrefoils at angles. C20 door, and 3 slate steps up. Long casement-pair to first floor and very small casement pair under eaves above, with no hoodmould.
E gable end to The Croft has shallow square roughcast bay with triple casement, the bay carried up to moulded parapet in front of first floor long casement pair. Attic has small plate-glass sash.
All 3 gables have thin raised bands across below attic windows.
W side, to The Norton, has 3-storey canted bay to left with 8-16-8-pane windows, moulded cornices, ground floor window smaller such that upper part overhangs slightly. Four-panel centre door with overlight and 8-pane sash above, set slightly to right of door. C20 dormer to roof left.
White-painted stuccoed low wall with fleur-de-lys iron railings on slate coping, between piers with cross-gabled caps. Gateway in line with porch.

Reason for designation

Included as a large and prominently sited house with unusual Tudor Gothic detail.