Details
BRIGHTON
TQ3103NW OLD STEINE
577-1/46/639 (South side)
13/10/52 Royal York Buildings including bus
depot
GV II
Hotel, now offices and bus depot. 1819; enlarged in 1827
taking in the 2 houses to the right, west, and another to the
left, east; refurbished in 1901; in 1929 purchased by the
Council for use as offices; coach station to the rear on Pool
Valley. Stucco. Roofs of slate turnerised.
EXTERIOR: because the complex is composed of several distinct
buildings, the following description will treat the different
sections separately. The entrance block, dated 1819 in
pediment over attic, is composed of 3 sections, the ends 3
storeys and attic, the centre 3 storeys with a 2-storey attic;
3-window range. Flat-arched entrance with over- and
sidelights, the latter filled with late C19 or early C20
stained glass. Doric tetrastyle porch to entrance, columns
paired near corners, the roof serves as first-floor balcony.
Added to this porch a cast-iron porte cochere from late C19 or
early C20: traceried tympanum, finials, barrel-vaulted roof.
The openings in this centre range are tripartite: French doors
to first floor and windows above; the columns separating the
centre from side openings on the first through first attic
floors are treated as Roman fasces, a feature associated with
French Empire design, and one found on a less lavish scale in
several terraced houses in Brighton; second attic storey set
in tetrastyle in antis surround, the end antae panelled, above
which is a segmental pediment filled with floral scrolls and
bearing date of construction. All windows are flat arched. To
either side of entrance range are identical, semicircular,
3-storey bays with tripartite windows, the columns between
centre and side windows treated as Roman fasces; each bay
terminates in a broad entablature; attic storey above is flush
with entrance range wall and topped by plain cornice. Because
the hotel was enlarged into buildings already on the site, the
design of the block is not unified. Block to the left has 4
storeys with dormers over attic, the latter dating to late C19
or early C20, and a 2-window range; banded rustication to
ground floor; flat-arched entry set in first-window range
under canted, glazed porch; range to right has tripartite
windows, floor-to-ceiling windows on first floor, sill bands
to second- and third-floor windows, all with architraves;
steeply-pitched gabled dormer straddles party wall; sashes of
original design, 6/6, to second floor. Return of 3-window
range has 3 bays, the centre semicircular, the sides
segmental; 2 entrances on return; gabled dormers to roof;
railings to areas and entrance.
Wing to right of entrance block formed from 2 terraced houses
which are now difficult to distinguish from one another: 4
storeys; 5-window range between them; 2 full-height bays, the
left canted with tripartite windows, the right 5-sided on
ground and first floors and canted above. The rear elevation
to Pool Valley is much altered and very irregular with storey
bands at different levels; in centre of roof parapet a plaque
bears the words "Royal York Buildings."
Included in this listing is the bus depot at the south-west
corner of the block; early C20. Stacks at former party walls
and end walls.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the hotel has had a distinguished history:
concerts and recitals were held in its public rooms; in 1861
Charles Dickens read "David Copperfield"; among many
distinguished guests were the Duke and Duchess of Clarence in
October of 1829 and Benjamin Disraeli in 1840.
(Carder T: The Encyclopaedia of Brighton: Lewes: 1990-: 163).
Listing NGR: TQ3123903946
