New Railway Hotel (later Park Hotel) East Cliff Preston

Thomas Mitchell gained the first premium of £200 in an open competition in 1880 and was awarded the commission. The second premium was awarded to Salomns and Ely - see sparate entry.

THE PRESTON HOTEL COMPETITION. THE competition designs which were invited for a new hotel at Preston, by the Committee of Management of the London and North Western and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways are now on view in the upper hall of the Euston Station. Forty-three designs have been submitted, and, as we said last week, these are in a variety of picturesque styles, ranging from Late Domestic Gothic to pure Italian. Most of the designs are illustrated by perspective views, drawn in sepia, and many of the sets of drawings exhibit a large amount of labour in their preparation. The premiums offered have induced several well-known architects to contribute designs, while the eminently picturesque site chosen for the hotel has afforded not a few architects an opportunity of displaying their skill in grouping and composition. The conditions did not bind the competitors to any cost, particular disposition of plan, or style of design, the leading consideration being that the main fronts should face south and east; that there was to be a convenient covered access to the Station, and that provision should be made for forty bedrooms with a due proportion of dressing-rooms, with capabilities for an extension to provide sixty additional bed-rooms at some future time. The last requirement seems to us to be a rather important one in deciding upon the merit of a plan, inasmuch as the addition of so large a number of bedrooms will have the effect of throwing out of scale and balance many of the apartments and elevations that are not designed with reference to such an enlargement. It also necessitates a consideration of staircase and corridor accommodation which very few of the competitors have consulted. Broadly speaking, the plans divide themselves into three classes: parallelograms or arrangements based upon that form; the three-block arrangement, or plans disposed in the shape of the letter “U” and the open square or quadrangle. 

" G " in intersecting triangles (Mr. T. Mitchell, of Oldham), is the motto of a set which the Committee have selected as the best. It has a good general arrangement. The planning of the principal apartments has been dictated by the requirements of the site, and the carriage-drive from the town is maintained. As we give a sketch of the ground-plan, it is unnecessary to describe it in detail. It will be seen that the author makes his entrance the chief feature, and places it in the angle formed by the two blocks ; the staircase is well-arranged for easy communication with the two corridors; the porter's room and luggage- room are handy to visitors ; the bar or inquiry-room is in front, so that the stranger cannot mistake his whereabouts; and the coffee-room is within easy reach at the end of main corridor, and can be readily serviced—a very desirable point. The coffee room, best sitting-room, public reading and drawing-rooms, face the park and gardens. The visitors' lift and luggage-hoist are close to the entrance. The ladies' rooms and conveniences are located at the end of main corridor, and are removed from the busier parts of the hotel; they are reached by a short cross-corridor, which will admit of extension when the additional rooms are required. At the other end the longer cross block contains the billiard and smoking-room, with its own bar, and gentlemen's lavatories, while the waiters' rooms and serving department are placed in communication with the coffee-room, and a tradesmen's side-entrance is got under the kitchen. This distribution of the two main classes of visitors and the servants' department is desirable. The first floor is occupied by sitting and bedrooms on each side of the central corridor, and a like arrangement exists on the second floor. We find the plan, however, is not faultless; the kitchen is decidedly much too small; indeed this department is scarcely equal to the requirements of an ordinary suburban residence. The plan in this part must be altered; the approach is not good. We find also the main corridor has an unfortunate jump up of eleven steps at one end, owing to the necessity apparently the author was under to provide additional height for his coffee-room. Externally, the lines of windows of the tower, and gable-block of coffee-room, are raised, to denote this level, but this difference does not much affect the unity of the composition. The lavatories and conveniences are well arranged at each end, and the kitchen-block, being kept low and made a projection, will not cause annoyance by the fumes of the cooking. Architecturally, the author has selected a Domestic Gothic style for the exterior; the tower at the angle helps to break the composition, if it does not express any internal arrangement. The windows are all mullioned, and there is a strong emphasis in the vertical lines. The facing is proposed to be of red bricks, with mullions of the same material, and red Runcorn dressings. The grouping of the principal entrance is successful; but we do not like some of the details, certainly not the oriel corner, with its steep conical roof, nor the details of chimney-stacks, and there is a mechanical repetition in the effect. The author submits tenders from two builders, which range from £29,201 to £33,000. [Building News 5 March 1880 page 269 with plan]

RAILWAY HOTEL, PRESTON - This hotel will afford an eligible opportunity for breaking a tedious railway ride, situate as it is about midway between London and Edinburgh. The building has been erected under the superintendence of Mr J B Stanley of Euston, London, the contractors being Messrs R Neill and Son of this city. The design has been to secure ready access to the station, simplicity of internal arrangement combined with picturesqueness of exterior, at a reasonable cost. The primary estimated cost was between £29,000 and £33,000. The style is ornamental. The material used is red Ruabon bricks, with Crosshill stone strings and dressings and ornamental tiles forming panels under the windows. The frontage to the south is 174 feet and to the west 152 feet. There is a coffee room on the ground floor 42 feet 6 inches by 28 feet; a drawing room, 23 feet 9 inches by 26 feet; a reading room 18 feet 6 inches by 18 feet 6 inches; with smoke, billiard and commercial rooms and other accommodation. The hotel contains 33 double and 20 single bedrooms, and ten private sitting rooms, besides private suites on the first and second floors. The upper floors are reached by a separate stone staircase at each end of the building, and there is a hydraulic lift to each of the three floors for passengers and luggage, also a service lift from the basement and culinary department to each floor. Ventilating tubes are fixed to every room and the tower acts as a ventilator. Although the hotel stands in its own grounds, isolated from other buildings and removed from the railway, it is immediately accessible from the main platform by a commodious covered gallery and bridge. Passengers from the north or south can reach or leave the hotel with their luggage by their side. A fine esplanade about 400 feet long and 14 feet wide is reserved for visitors, overlooking the Miller Park, to which it is connected by a flight of steps. [Manchester Guardian 25 August 1882 page 8]

Reference    Building News 5 March 1880 – review of competition
Reference    British Architect 3 December 1880 Page 246 - Contract for £24,000 just let
Reference    Manchester Guardian 25 August 1882 page 8
Reference    Manchester Guardian 26 August 1882 page 9 – architect named