Duke of Cornwall Hotel

Duke of Cornwall Hotel
General information
Location	Plymouth, Devon, England
Coordinates	50°22′04″N 4°09′00″W / 50.3677001°N 4.1499031°W / 50.3677001; -4.1499031Coordinates: 50°22′04″N 4°09′00″W / 50.3677001°N 4.1499031°W / 50.3677001; -4.1499031
Opening	1865[1]
Owner	Plymouth Hotel Company
Design and construction
Architect	C. Forster Hayward[1]
Other information
Number of rooms	72
Number of restaurants	1
Parking	Available
Website
http://www.thedukeofcornwall.co.uk
Duke of Cornwall Hotel Duke of Cornwall Hotel (Plymouth)

The Duke of Cornwall Hotel is a historic hotel located in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. Opening in 1865 it was built as Plymouths first luxury hotel and now stands as Plymouth's oldest hotel^[2] pre-dating the Savoy Hotel in London by 21 years.^[3] The premise itself was built in Victorian Gothic style. Construction began on the property in 1863^[4] to cater for the increasing influx of travellers who were coming to the region by rail transport and sea.

The hotel was one of only a handful of buildings in the city centre which survived the Plymouth Blitz during World War II without major structural damage, and was the venue for regular functions throughout the war. In the 1970s and early 1980s it was threatened with closure but, helped by poet laureate John Betjeman's praise for its architecture, it was saved by a major refurbishment. Today it is considered to be one of Plymouth's principal landmarks.^[5]

History

Monday the 2nd of April 1849 was a historic day for Plymouth as it saw the arrival of the first ever steam train pull in to Plymouth Millbay railway station (now closed). On the 5th of May in the previous year the first train had pulled in to Laira Railway Station.^[6] With the sharp increase of first class travel available to the area, the demand for luxury also grew. Due to the increasing travelling population in Devon the need for decent hotel accommodation also grew and two buildings opposite the Plymouth Millbay railway station appeared in relatively quick succession. Once the need for the hotel was first recognised, a group of railway directors were appointed as the hotels original board of directors. They selected the architect C. Forster Hayward,^[7] who later designed the Swyddfa'r Sir in Aberystwyth (formally the Queens Hotel) to the same style but on a smaller scale.^[8] The builders were "Honest" John Pethick and Benjamin Call.^[9] Call and Pethick had already completed several jobs for the South Devon Railway Company including the rebuilding of Exeter St Thomas railway station and Newton Abbot and the firm also build an impressive hotel in Old Town Street of the city. Construction started in 1863 and it opened in 1865.^[1] Owned by the Plymouth Hotel Company the Duke of Cornwall cost £40,000 to develop including the excavation work required to clear the site where the Saracens Head Public House and Millbay Grove Terrace once stood.^[10] Five different types of stone were used to create the building in Victorian Gothic style. The main focal point for many of the hotel was and still is the tower which still holds its place on the city skyline. Many guests are interested to find out the function or reason for the tower however it seems that it was built purely for decoration.

The 1920s

With the invention of the pneumatic Tire and the growing reliability of engines in the 1920s long distance road travel was fast becoming a viable option. During the same period the number of Ocean Liner visits to Plymouth had doubled from 350 to 700 a year. Averaging almost two visits a day. Plymouth's location was attractive as it could cut a whole day by getting back to London rather than being routed through Southampton. With this spare day the people were looking for accommodation. Due to this increase in passing trade the Duke of Cornwall went through a thorough program of reconstruction and redecoration. The hotels lighting was electrified and a lift was installed. This was a first for the city. The sanitary arrangements were also certified by the local authority.

The 1930s

During the 1930s the Millbay docks grew in popularity due to its Ocean going status. This saw all manner of celebrities visit Plymouth including Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin, Duke Ellington and Bing Crosby. The number of liner visits peaked during the 1930s and the city looked to promote itself as a tourist destination. 1934 saw the memorial for the Mayflower Steps officially open. This was to promote the Pilgrim Fathers link with America. The following year the Tinside Lido opened on the Hoe.

World War II

At the first out break of another major war on the 3rd of September 1939 the perception of the recently amalgamated Three Towns altered very little. This changed with the fall of France as Plymouth found itself within the enemy firing line.

On 6 July 1940 the first air raid of the Plymouth Blitz^[11] took place and local people were aware of the city of Plymouth’s importance to the enemy. With the large HMNB Devonport Naval base nearby, it was inevitable that this base would soon become a target. Over the next four years there were 59 separate assaults on the city. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed during that time making Plymouth on of the most bombed cities in the country.

Despite the bombing the Duke of Cornwall miraculously survived relatively unscathed. However the St James the Less Church and the Millbay railway station which stood either side of the hotel were not so fortunate. Thanks to this dances took place in the Ballroom every Wednesday and Saturday nights.^[10] They proved to be a welcome break from the pressure and fear that had become part of everyone’s lives. American troops and local people alike attended these functions and Wedding receptions were also held in the hotel. Guests were entertained by the likes of Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth and other artistes who were staying at the hotel whilst playing at the nearby Palace Theatre on Union Street.

An extraordinary story lies in the intelligence records of the MI5 which relates to the running of the Duke of Cornwall Hotel in Plymouth, one of the port’s most prestigious hotels during the war. According to home office reports the Welsh family that ran the hotel during the war had strong ties to the fascist party and was suspected by MI5 of gathering military intelligence from naval personnel. In particular, the manager's daughter-in-law was accused of taking American servicemen to her bedroom where she would coax sensitive military information from them after 'entertaining' them. On 10 February 1944 Mrs Welsh and her daughter-in-law Bebe were placed on the suspects list. In March she and her husband had a restriction order which prohibited their presence in an aliens protected area. They had been watched from at least 1939 but it was not until 1944 that they were forced to leave before the Allied invasion of France in the spring of 1944, MI5 recommended their detention.^[12][13][14]

Famous Guests

The Duke of Cornwall hotel has had its fair share of famous guests including entertainers, politicians and even of course the odd Impresario. In August 1914 Ernest Shackleton stayed in the Duke of Cornwall the night before his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Other names in the visitors book include Tommy Trinder, Anne Ziegler and of course Webster Booth. In 1954 Laurel and Hardy were due to perform in the Palace Theatre on the 17th of May however were forced to cancel the show due to Oliver Hardy suffering from flu and even suffered a mild heart attack.^[15] Due to the train station opposite the hotel benefitted from various other celebrities including Charlie Chaplin who would take the train from London then sail back to New York from the docks at Mill bay.^[16] More recently Suzi Quatro, Hale and Pace, Cameron Mackintosh, Lionel Blair, Alan Clarke and Dame Janet Fookes all have their names signed in the visitors book.

The Modern Duke

After the Plymouth Blitz the city centre only just got under way in 1953. Most development was complete by the 1960s. In June 1971 the Plymouth Millbay railway station was finally demolished. The reason the hotel was built. This created a highly valuable site opposite the hotel in the town centre. The hotel however did still see custom from the Millbay docks once Brittany Ferries had started a cross-channel service which replaced the Ocean liners.

Threat of closure and refurbishment

The building was listed as Grade II in 1975,^[17] despite which it faced threats of closure in 1977. A local newspaper article read: "Plymouth’s 114 year old Duke of Cornwall Hotel which kept the tourism flag flying in Queen Victoria’s days and defied the wrath of Hitler’s bombs, is in danger of being pulled down".^[18] This was due to the lack of car parking space: the terraced gardens gave way to a new car park in 1988. In 1987 another article reported "Plymouth’s last grand Victorian Hotel is up for sale".^[19]

The hotel was described by Sir John Betjeman as "one of the finest examples of Victorian gothic architecture he had ever seen", and in 1988 its future was secured.^[20] A refurbishment programme affecting almost every area of the building was completed. The ballroom was completely refurbished in 1994 and the old Spider’s Web bar converted to a new function suite – the Fleur de Lys suite.

The hotel was used as a location for a Rosamunde Pilcher TV movie by German company ZDF with director Dieter Kehler.

Facilities and accreditations

The Duke of Cornwall has 72 rooms and suites including the Tower Room that gives a 270 degree view of the city, coast and countryside.^[10] The hotel is regularly used as a venue for weddings, conferences and various functions. It is within walking distance of shopping streets, Theatre Royal, Plymouth University and Plymouth Pavilions as well as popular historical sites including the Hoe, Barbican, Mayflower Steps and Plymouth Gin Distillery.^[21]

Today the Duke of Cornwall remains one of Plymouth’s most famous landmarks.^[5] Its restaurant dining room has been described by Frommer's as "one of the finest in the area", and describes the setting as "elegant".^[22] The hotel has three stars and one red rosette from the AA.^[23]

Celebrating 150 Years

In 2013 the Duke of Cornwall hotel celebrated its 150th year.^[4] They have released a book marking the celebrations with a history of the hotel and local area available to patrons. Renovation continues on the hotel with a highly skilled in-house maintenance team work hard all year round.^[24]

References

External links

• Official website