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Summary

Description

Samuel Baikie, 1901, with alter alterations and additions. 3-storey and attic, 3-bay L-plan symmetrical Scot's Jacobean-style hotel built on ground rising to W; 3-storey 4-light canted bays flanking advanced canted porch to centre; pepperpot bartizans; crowstepped gablets. Polished cream sandstone ashlar with ashlar dressings. Base course; string course between floors, continuous as cornice around canted bays; cill course below canted windows; ball finials to angles of blocking course over canted bays; eyebrow hoodmoulds over attic windows. Stone mullions (and transoms at ground).

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3-step stone flight to canted encaustic tiled porch at ground in bay to centre; Doric columns raised on plinths supporting round-arched pediment and entablature with wrought-iron balcony behind; pilastered, roll-moulded and keystoned architraved doorpiece; 2-leaf timber panelled door with large fanlight; window at 1st and 2nd floors; date panel below attic window with round-arched pediment above. 4-light canted bays flanking; bipartite attic window to thistle-finialled gablets above; piended dormer behind gablet to right. Single storey flat-roofed additions with modern door and windows flanking at ground in bays to outer left and right.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: 2-storey and attic 7-bay regularly fenestrated elevation with gabletted attic windows.

N (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-storey and attic 8-bay regularly fenestrated elevation; 2-bay gabled blocks to outer left and right; single storey pitched addition at ground to left of centre.

Predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows; fixed coloured small-pane upper lights to canted bays at ground. Grey slate roof; slate to addition; decorative pierced red clay ridges; red clay ball finials to gablets to rear and side elevations; ashlar and replacement cement skews to rear and side gables; corniced ashlar gablehead and ridge stacks; predominantly cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: architraved timber panelled doors; timber skirting boards; timber revolving door below etched glass panels to entrance lobby; turned timber banisters and newel posts to central staircase; decorative carved plaster consoles beneath plaster panelled ceiling to lobby; herring bone timber slats lining stairwell ceiling; largely re-fitted to upper floors.

WALLED GARDEN: rectangular-plan rubble walled garden built on rising ground to W (rear). Square-plan fountain set to left (S) of garden comprising carved square plinth supporting anthemion and palmette carved urn within square cement-rendered basin; cement-rendered and lined bases to lean-to greenhouses to W end.

Statement of Special Interest

On May 4th 1900, John Mackay applied to erect a hotel in Stromness, submitting plans drawn up by Paul Baikie, Surveyor, dated 19.04.1899. These plans showed the original intention for a bowling green to occupy some of the ground to the rear. The hotel was opened in 1902 and described as 'a large and magnificent hotel...(where) accommodation for visitors is really excellent, comprising ...upwards of 40 large and airy bedrooms...Billiard room, 2 smoking rooms, Coffee room, Commercial room, Private Sitting Rooms...' The same report notes that the hotel is 'fitted throughout with electric light and bedrooms connected by telephone with the office on the ground floor'. Illustrations of the newly completed hotel show a low coped wall with railings enclosing two small rectangular gardens in front of the canted bays on the front elevation; they also show no evidence of the fire escapes along the N wall. In the Second World War the hotel served as OS Def HQ, the Army's Orkney and Shetland Defence Headquarters, and Gracie Fields sang from its balcony.

References

Bibliography

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