Burgh Island Hotel

Burgh Island Hotel, Burgh Island, Bigbury on Sea, Kingsbridge, TQ7 4BG

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1108101
Date first listed:: 25-Jan-1990
List Entry Name:: Burgh Island Hotel
Statutory Address:: Burgh Island Hotel, Burgh Island, Bigbury on Sea, Kingsbridge, TQ7 4BG

User submitted image — Uploaded by Stuart Mee This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

🏠 Buildings
🏰 Scheduled monuments
🌳 Parks and gardens
⚔️ Battlefields
⚓ Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Images of England Project

To view this image please use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge.

Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.

Date:: 2001-06-27
Reference:: IOE01/04777/14
Rights:: © Mr Brian Richards. Source: Historic England Archive

Historic England Archive

Search over 1 million photographs and drawings from the 1850s to the present day using our images archive.

Find Photos

Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1108101
Date first listed:: 25-Jan-1990
List Entry Name:: Burgh Island Hotel
Statutory Address 1:: Burgh Island Hotel, Burgh Island, Bigbury on Sea, Kingsbridge, TQ7 4BG

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Burgh Island Hotel, Burgh Island, Bigbury on Sea, Kingsbridge, TQ7 4BG

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Devon
District:: South Hams (District Authority)
Parish:: Bigbury
National Grid Reference:: SX 64858 43932

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 15 August 2024 to reformat the text to current standards.

SX 64 SE 6/17 BIGBURY BURGH ISLAND Burgh Island Hotel

II Private guest house, now hotel. Built 1929 for Archibald Nettlefold, architect not known. Reinforced concrete, rendered, steel-framed windows, asphalt flat roofs, copper cupola to lift shaft. A complex T-plan with fully glazed 'palm court' in internal angle to the south east, and the captain's cabin of HMS Ganges built on to the east end of the north block.

Four storeys, built into ground slope at south end. Most windows are narrow-light (500 mm module) standard steel casements, some with top lights; large units to public rooms. North front, towards mainland, has projecting public rooms under flat terrace, then suite of public rooms with large glazed openings, beneath two continuous balconies to set-back ranges of nine windows; at right end a half-cylindrical unit with small openings at first floor level, and a small flue at the corner. Left return has the attached captain's cabin below three windows in two levels above. Right return has small openings in plain wall, and a projecting lofty stair tower with tall slit window, returning to main entrance on set-back east section, heavy concrete lattice balustrade to balcony over glazed main doors flanked by curved service units with small square windows at two levels; above this, in south wing, continuous balconies at two levels to set-back range of six windows, above large glazed openings to public rooms. Plain south end returns to inner faces of north and south wings with standard windows at two levels, two small-pane casements in a lower flat-roofed unit adjoining lift tower to tent-like copper-clad roof over open loggia. In the internal angle a large glazed palm court with quadrant wall to south and east.

Interior: retains much of the original Art Deco decoration in the public rooms; the main Function Room has large engraved mirror and a characteristic continuous lighting trough. Staircase is lined with black Vitrolite, and has two 'ladder' radiators topped by Art Deco light fittings; there are also many original square light fittings. In the main rooms facing north, some aluminium sliding windows have been inserted. Some of the doors in the service basement include typical porthole openings. The balconies have good quarry tile pavings. Much of the interior fitting and finishing appears to be the original work. Palm court glazed roof has radial bars and scale-like patterns in the 'peacock dome'.

This is an advanced building for its date in England, in the International style. The structure of reinforced concrete is said still to be in very good condition, and the inspection suggests a very well built and maintained building, although it lacks the clarity of the best buildings of the movement. Much careful restoration undertaken in 1980s.

The original purpose was as a weekend party venue, and visitors included Agatha Christie who set two of her books on the island; Edward, Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, Noel Coward, and other inter-war personalities also stayed here as Mr Nettlefold's guests.

(Information from brochure produced by the owners in 1987, Beatrice and Tony Porter).

Listing NGR: SX6485843932

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 99608
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Other
Beatrice Porter and Tony Porter, Burgh Island Hotel Brochure, (1987)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.