Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1667 to 1899 Hotel, former town house, late C17 with C18 and nineteenth century alterations.

Monument Types

• HOTEL (Post Medieval to Modern - 1667 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 76 NW 85 :
(TQ 74366853) Gordon Hotel (NAT) (1) HIGH STREET North East Side II* No. 91 (Gordon Hotel) Mid C18, 3 storeys, 4 windows. Red brick with grey headers, 3 bands, rubbed flat arches. Heavy wooden cornice on spaced modillions. Sashes in exposed frames. Stucco doorcase with pediment on brackets, architraves; panelled door with fanlight. Jacobean staircase with intact wall paintings. (See N.M.R.) Left hand 2 storeys, 1 window over shop entrance to Dickens' Restaurant. Parapet and band, sash in exposed frame. (2) Additional bibliography. (3) ROCHESTER HIGH STREET No.91 (Gordon Hotel). Hotel, formerly a large town house. Late C17 with mid C18 front and C19 alterations. [Full architectural description] LISTED GRADE II*. (4)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
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 (5)

<1> OS 1:2500 1970 (OS Card Reference). SKE48212.

<2> DOE(HHR)Dist of City of Rochester Kent July 1969 23 (OS Card Reference). SKE41299.

<3> Bldgs of Eng West Kent and the Weald 1980 494-5 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38086.

<4> DOE(HHR)City of Rochester upon Medway Kent, 2nd Dec 1991 69-70 (OS Card Reference). SKE41275.

<5> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading