Description

ROCHESTER HIGH STREET
TQ 7468 NW
7/129 No 91 (Gordon
Hotel)
24.10.50
GV II*
Hotel, formerly a large town house. Late C17 with mid C18 front
and C19 alterations. Red brick with burnt headers; Kent tile
roof. Double-deptch (the stairs occupying half the rear roof
space) with rear wing, and C19 ballroom beyond. End stacks.
Front: 3 storeys, regular 4-window range. Heavy deeply
overhanging moulded wooden cornice on spaced shaped modillions
returns to either side. Brick plat bands between floors and
another below cornice interrupted by 2nd floor window arches.
Rubbed brick flat window arches. 12-pane hornless sashes in
exposed frames throughout. Stucco doorcase to right with
pediment on console brackets; panelled door under rectangular
unglazed overlight with decorative tracery. Tripartite inner
doorway, half-glazed, half-panelled with rectangular overlight.
The hotel extends one window bay to the left (adjacent to No 89),
also chequered brick, 2 storeys (possibly reduced) with hornless
sash window to 1st floor, plat band and stone coped parapet; shop
front with fluted end pilasters. Interior: the importance of the
building lies primarily in the C17 dining room on the ground
floor to the left of the entrance passage. Moulded cornice and
two tiers of raised panels in moulded frames; these panels are
marbled and have at their centre oval oil paintings (directly on
to the wood) of game, fish and other edibles. Contemporary oil
painting in gilded frame over end fireplace, the latter with C19
shouldered surround and inset tiles. Entrance hall with black
and white chequered flag floor, round-headed archway into
stairhall antechamber, with panelled imposts and keystone.
Antechamber and stairhall with moulded door surrounds (some
bolection) and cupboards with H-hinges. Open-well stairs (to 1st
floor only) with plain newels with moulded caps and twisted
balusters. At foot of stairs an open-work half door with H-
hinges (perhaps a dog door). A rear stair has turned newels and
splat balusters. Former rear windows now internal. C19
ballroom. Throughout the ground floor there is much C17, C18 and
C19 joinery of interest. Upper floors not inspected.

Listing NGR: TQ7437668533

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17551594

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback