Diglis Hotel

Details

WORCESTER

SO85SW SEVERN STREET
620-1/3/509 (West side)
22/05/54 Diglis Hotel

II

Large house, now hotel. Mid C18 with later additions and
alterations. Red brick with painted stone detailing. River-side
(W) range has hipped slate roof partially concealed by parapet
and with central ridge stack; rear (E) range has plain clay tile
roof with stack to each gable-end; all stacks have oversailing
details and pots. Lead rolls to hipped roof. Flat lead roofs to
canted bays. Painted stucco doorcases.
PLAN: L-plan with rear hall to river-side range, staircase
adjacent to hall is in rear-range.
EXTERIOR: River-side range - west elevation: symmetrical facade,
centre section breaks forward slightly with pediment over. 2
storeys. 4 (1:2:1) first-floor windows. Stone detailing includes
modillion cornice, capped fluted keystones to window heads, and
sills. Windows are 6/6 sashes all in plain reveals with flat
gauged brick arches. Lunette to pediment with radial glazing bar
pattern. Centre ground-floor windows are also 6/6 down to floor
level, opening to left and right each have French windows with
overlight. Similar 6/6 fenestration to left (N) and right (S)
return; entrance in each return with Ionic-style pilaster, open
pediment doorcase; part-glazed door, leaded-light fanlight.
The principal south elevation of the rear range has an almost
symmetrical facade with pair of full-height canted bays flanking
central entrance. 2 storeys and attic. 3 first-floor windows.
Detailing includes plain eaves band below painted dentil course
and plain band between ground and first-floor windows. Band does
not continue around bays which suggests they are later. Moulded
cornice to heads of bay windows, fenestration is 6/6:6/6:6/6.
Centre first-floor window is 6/6 in near-flush frame under flat
gauged brick arch. 4 cambered-head dormers with 3/3 sashes. C20
multi-pane glazed entrance door.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Diglis House (as it was known) is noted to have
been the home of Edward Leader Williams, the Chief Engineer to
the Severn Navigation Commission. His son, B Leader Williams was
born in the house in 1831 and became famous as a landscape artist
(under the reversed name of Benjamin Williams Leader). His
brother Edward (born 1828) followed in his father's footsteps
becoming Chief Engineer of the Manchester Ship Canal. Later
residents were Mr RW Binns and his family. He was a partner in
the porcelain works at Diglis from 1851 and subsequently a
manager when it became Royal Worcester Porcelain in 1862. On
retirement in 1897 he was retained as a director until his death
in 1900.
The Worcester Daily Times Trade and Industrial Edition of 1903
includes an entry for a Mr Andrew Carpenter, proprietor of the
Diglis House Brewery. He is noted as acquiring the house in 1902
which he then ran as a public-house serving his own brew. The
article also refers to the building being 'lighted by electricity
generated on the premises'. William refers to Diglis House being
built on the site of a previous house belonging to William
Berkeley and destroyed during the Civil War in 1643.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Worcestershire: Harmondsworth:
1968-1985: 326; Worcester Daily Times: Not known: Worcester at
Work: Worcester: 1903-: 22; Jones R: Porcelain in Worcester
1751-1951: An Illustrated Social History: Worcester: 1993-: 15-19
& 29-32; Old Worcester - People and Places: Gwilliam HW: Old
Worcester - People and Places: Worcester: 1977-: 89-90).

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

489118

Legacy System:

LBS

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