After a few weeks of careful planning and half an hour playing solitaire, I had the shit scared out of me when Xan banged against the window I was leaning against on the train. We went up to Porthmadog to check out a lead which turned out to be doable, but wasn't worth it as the access would've been a nightmare to explain if we were caught. Also, the site was still live in terms of alarms, fire detection and CCTV. We then went into the town, got supplies and headed over to the station. Another train and a lift in the rain from Xan's missus, we were faced with St David's Hotel.
THE HISTORY (from Wikipedia)
St. David's Hotel is based on proposals drawn-up in January 1907 by George Walton, a Glasgow School architect and contemporary of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.The proposals were subsequently revised in 1908, and the hotel was built in 1910.
The Hotel has five storeys and a basement. The height of the Hotel was disguised by having the upper three floors included in a giant mansard with rows of dormers.
At St David's Hotel, Walton provided solutions to a challenging commercial design brief that included the traditional use of heavy masonry on the exterior of the Hotel, which was intended to reflect the use of this material in the locality. In conjunction with this, Walton used reinforced concrete to open-up the interiors in order to simplify structural problems, make the most of the sea views, and give the interior "a cheerfulness which could survive even a dull Harlech day". The Hotel sits on the edge of the Harlech Conservation Area.
Walton also designed all the fixtures and fittings for the Hotel, including fitted furniture, carpets, tables, chairs, settees and ironmongery, working to a tight budget.
The Hotel was built for a syndicate, in which George Walton was involved, and catered primarily for golfers visiting the adjacent Royal St David's Golf Club.
The Hotel had 60 bedrooms and served traditional home-cooked food, facilities included an early twentieth-century lift, a snooker table, an outdoor pool, and a solarium.
The hotel closed in 2008 and was planned to be demolished and a new hotel built on the site, but these plans have not been put into action.
THE STORY
My first set of batteries died and the second set were crap.
THE EXPLORE
I was surprised to see that so much flooring was gone and regularly had to jump the last step on stairs.
[1 - Most of the floorboards were gone?]
[2 - The place is falling apart.]
[3 - Something's missing...]
[4 - "Open plan."]
[5 - I often found myself scuttling over joists or RSJs to get from room to room.]
[6 - One of the nicer rooms, showing the lift cage.]
[7 - Another social room, a pain to get in and out of. There was evidence of the pool table and pumps from a bar here]
[8 - The flowers haven't moved in a year or so.]
[9 - Eek!]
[10 - The basement with recentish bar mats in one corner. Also, there grammer standards is declining.]
[11 - This place really would've been nice when it was open. Pity really.]
[12 - Corridor shot, long!]
[13 - Had to leave this unedited...]
[14 - The lovely view?]
[15 - Very large, this place.]
[16 - The lift itself on the ground floor, also my first try at lens correction with my new camera and lightroom.]
[17 - The guests.]
NB: Damp...
[18 - The hotel from the road.]
Big thanks to Xan for the day out, and thanks for viewing!
THE HISTORY (from Wikipedia)
St. David's Hotel is based on proposals drawn-up in January 1907 by George Walton, a Glasgow School architect and contemporary of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.The proposals were subsequently revised in 1908, and the hotel was built in 1910.
The Hotel has five storeys and a basement. The height of the Hotel was disguised by having the upper three floors included in a giant mansard with rows of dormers.
At St David's Hotel, Walton provided solutions to a challenging commercial design brief that included the traditional use of heavy masonry on the exterior of the Hotel, which was intended to reflect the use of this material in the locality. In conjunction with this, Walton used reinforced concrete to open-up the interiors in order to simplify structural problems, make the most of the sea views, and give the interior "a cheerfulness which could survive even a dull Harlech day". The Hotel sits on the edge of the Harlech Conservation Area.
Walton also designed all the fixtures and fittings for the Hotel, including fitted furniture, carpets, tables, chairs, settees and ironmongery, working to a tight budget.
The Hotel was built for a syndicate, in which George Walton was involved, and catered primarily for golfers visiting the adjacent Royal St David's Golf Club.
The Hotel had 60 bedrooms and served traditional home-cooked food, facilities included an early twentieth-century lift, a snooker table, an outdoor pool, and a solarium.
The hotel closed in 2008 and was planned to be demolished and a new hotel built on the site, but these plans have not been put into action.
THE STORY
My first set of batteries died and the second set were crap.
THE EXPLORE
I was surprised to see that so much flooring was gone and regularly had to jump the last step on stairs.
[1 - Most of the floorboards were gone?]
[2 - The place is falling apart.]
[3 - Something's missing...]
[4 - "Open plan."]
[5 - I often found myself scuttling over joists or RSJs to get from room to room.]
[6 - One of the nicer rooms, showing the lift cage.]
[7 - Another social room, a pain to get in and out of. There was evidence of the pool table and pumps from a bar here]
[8 - The flowers haven't moved in a year or so.]
[9 - Eek!]
[10 - The basement with recentish bar mats in one corner. Also, there grammer standards is declining.]
[11 - This place really would've been nice when it was open. Pity really.]
[12 - Corridor shot, long!]
[13 - Had to leave this unedited...]
[14 - The lovely view?]
[15 - Very large, this place.]
[16 - The lift itself on the ground floor, also my first try at lens correction with my new camera and lightroom.]
[17 - The guests.]
NB: Damp...
[18 - The hotel from the road.]
Big thanks to Xan for the day out, and thanks for viewing!
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