MEM22346 - Waterloo House, Lydiate Lane, Lynton (Building)

An early 19th Century hotel with a wing built in 1912. It is built of rubble with brick dressings and has a slate roof. The entrance is on the first floor, which is approached by a flight of 12 stone steps.

Hotel. Early C19, 1912 wing. Rubble with brick dressings, slate roof. Central hall plan, set back and up from street, with a lower ground floor to the front, built against rising ground to the rear, and a large narrow wing to the left, projecting forward to the street. The early range is in 2 storeys, attic and lower ground floor; 3-window front, all to stone cills; 2 wide flat-roofed dormers with paired 2-light casements, one of these with a central room divider, above 16-pane sashes; the lower ground floor has a 2-light casement and a 4-pane sash. The main entrance has a C19 panelled door in an arched opening on reveals and with transom light, on a flight of 12 stone steps with nosings, and cast-iron scrolled balustrade, which returns to a landing to the left, linking with the projecting wing. Gable stack. The rear has been raised one floor with a slate-hung storey above whitewashed rubble with sashes, including a central staircase sash with margin-panes. The narrow wing, in rubble with brick dressings, is on 4 storeys, 1-window width, all sashes, with a 4-pane to the gable above a tripartite 2:4:2-pane, and a hipped hexagonal bay, with brick mullions and narrow plain sashes. The bottom level is the same, but with brick cambered heads under a brick moulded drip continued as a string course. To the right is a door opening to the approach balcony, and the left return, against a sleeply sloping rising path, includes 2 margin-pane sashes, and, at the ground level, a wide opening with segmental head over a door and side-light; a further door towards the front, at basement level. The rear is rendered, with 4-pane sashes. Stacks to the right eaves and rear left. INTERIOR: most original panelled doors remain, stripped of paintwork, and the windows are shuttered. The lower rooms have moulded cornices, and the front room, right, has a fireplace with fluted surround and paterae. The stair, to the rear, is in a tight well, and has fine turned balusters and bold newels; the landing window has tinted glass. At first floor a wide elliptical arch on reeded pilasters. The roof is bolted, with collar and king-post. The lower ground floor has a stone-flagged floor. The later wing has a dining room with an embattled marble fireplace, by James and Albert Edward, dated 1912, and there is an open-well staircase with fine turned balusters and turned newels. There is documentary evidence in the house that it was built as a hotel, in 1820, and from the detailing and arrangement it seems probable that the wing was added to extend the hotel in 1912. The building is of interest in retaining most of the original detailing both inside and out, and is also important for the group value contribution it makes to this listed group. [1] There is documentary evidence that Waterloo House, nearby, was built as a hotel in 1820 and a wing added in 1912. It is stone rubble built with brick dressings. The listing details emphasise that the building retains “most of the original detailing both inside and out, and is also important for the… contribution it makes to this listed group.” [2] This structure appears to be visible on the 1840 Lynton Tithe map. [3] The building is depicted on the 2022 MasterMap data. [4] The building is mentioned in the 2019 Conservation Area Appraisal for Lynton. [5] The building was assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings, receiving a BAR score of 6. [6]