History

Three terraced houses now hotel, c1875, the first three of a terrace of 4. The South Cliff estate was laid out for building on a grid pattern in 1864 by J H Shipway, engineer, on former Tuder estate land, sold to Dr J M Sutton of Bloomfield, Narberth. Shipway's elevations were not used, the architect may have been F Wehnert, who did similar schemes for Milford Haven and Llandudno. The Esplanade was the principal seafront terrace, built up by 1880, but little seems to have been built before 1870. The 4 plots were marked on this site on the 1864 plan, another three houses later added to the W being on a different building plot and to a slightly different design. The 4 houses as built are to a different design than the first 5 on the Esplanade, but to the same design as the middle terrace of six. Deeds of 1872 show that Samuel Pitman of Bath bought these 3 plots and that during 1873 they were sold on, to C S Allen of Tredegar House, Tenby, to W Walkington of Tenby, and to Richard Griffiths, lodging house keeper. Allen's house was to be called Cawdor House, the former name of the third house in this row, but the deed suggests that he bought one of the first two. The plans were to be approved by the 'vendor's architect'. The houses were numbered Nos 7-9, and No 7 was complete in 1876, as a sale of contents was advertised there. In 1878 one of these houses then called Belgrave House, and owned by the builder John Henton, was burnt out, with damage to the adjoining house, called Giltar House. Cawdor House is listed in a 1926 directory as a private house occupied by Mrs Goodeve, but a No 9 is also listed occupied by the Rev Lewis Davies. In 1977 the Giltar Hotel occupied Nos 7-8, and the Cawdor Hotel No 9. No 7 has a name plaque Ethelstone House on the end wall.

Exterior

Hotel, formerly three houses, each painted stucco with slate roof, basement and four storeys and attic, two-window range, with a full-height stucco canted bay to left, single windows over door to right. The first house has window to ground floor right as entry was from side, and centre and left houses are stepped slightly back from the one to right.
Windows are mostly 4-pane sashes, but 2-pane narrower sashes to sides of canted bays. C20 dormers behind parapet with inset mouldings with rebated angles in sunk panels. Cambered headed windows in moulded surrounds to upper two floors, arched French windows opening onto a continuous iron balcony on the first floor, with moulded arched heads, plain fanlights and pilaster sides. Ground floor has channelled rustication and plain square heads to windows and door. First floor balcony is on iron brackets and has attractive slightly Gothic iron railings, akin to earlier C19 designs. Four-panel door with overlight to left house, C20 fixed glazed door with overlight to centre house. Basement sash windows.
Right bay of right house is slightly different, with cambered-headed window onto the balcony at first floor and plain 4-pane sash to ground floor instead of door, not aligned. Right end wall to Picton Terrace has plaque 'Ethelstone House, 7 Esplanade'. Stucco with 2-storey oriel each side of centre 4-panel door with overlight in corniced doorcase. Four-pane sash to ground floor right.
Rear of each house has projecting stair tower.
Fleur-de-lys heads to iron area railings, twisted stanchions with larger fleur-de-lys heads.

Interior

Entry into left house, former No 9, with glazed screen with top-lights and side-lights. Elaborate plasterwork: entrance lobby has small square ceiling with egg-and-dart and leaf cornice and border and small rose. Ceiling borders have undercut rosette at corners. Inner hall has similar rectangular ceiling and elliptical arch with egg-and-dart moulding. Sitting room to left has similar ceiling with big fleshy acanthus-leaf rose. Timber C19 fireplace re-used from elsewhere. Stair has fat bulbous newel, turned balusters, and scrolled tread ends. Middle house, former No 8, has similar stair to rear. Plasterwork of hall and stair hall also elaborate but different, with acanthus modillions and undercut 4-petal flowers. Front room combined with entrance hall, has cornice with rope-mould and clasped ball motifs, border with lily scroll. Left house has had greater alterations, cornices redone, stair removed. C20 plasterwork in 2 rooms now one, some copied from originals.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a group of 3 Victorian terraced houses, part of the fine sea-front terraces along the Esplanade.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29485419

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)