Mystery Hotel 1912 ????????

[tomkin]

All I know is that before posting this picture I would have isolated and scanned at
very high resolution all the important features such as the road name, coat of arms etc.
    This would of course depend totally on the original resolution of the photograph. To
try and speculate what a group of non descript bunch of pixels means is just a waste of
time.    If you look to the far left I think that I can see another low building which appears to be across the road. i.e a simple 2 storey building with a pitched roof.
        I too was reminded of Blackpool when I saw the hotel because of the basement
 floor. You can just see the top of the windows behind the railings which stop you from
 falling into the basement levels.  This construction was so that daylight would enter the basement rooms. ie. between the railings and the hotel is a one storey drop.
   
         Tomkin AkA tomkin the Pixelated

[dennford]

        I too was reminded of Blackpool when I saw the hotel because of the basement
 floor. You can just see the top of the windows behind the railings which stop you from
 falling into the basement levels.  This construction was so that daylight would enter the basement rooms. ie. between the railings and the hotel is a one storey drop.
   
         Tomkin AkA tomkin the Pixelated

Okay, so this actually makes it a four rather than three story building. So if at a later date the road was reconstructed we may be looking for photo's of  a four story hotel!!

           Denn - the confusilated

[Paul E]

Well spotted that Tomkin!

I don't think anyone's noticed that before.  You'll make a forensic genealogist yet!

Paul

[Paul E]

OK, OK ... enough's enough!

I've asked Chris Dunham to round up his forensic team.  If they can't find this hotel, it never existed!

cheers

Paul

[tomkin]

Hi Denn,
               Even Our council would never drop a road by that amount.
They would knock down the hotel and spend years wondering what to build there.
 I fear that this building was either bombed or suffered with the usual Council
 mentality of " it's old, knock it down  and lets make loads of money for the
developers"  

           Tomkin Aka Tomkin The Cynical

[broakham]

   Sorry, but I can't agree about the basement. I think that what appears to be window tops is fancy stone or brickwork, partially obscured by a planter or other garden ornament in front of the left hand bay window.
   Every time I look at this photo I see in my mind a modern setting with tables and umbrellas in front of the windows. Is this a vivid imagination or a real but vague memory ?

   Regards - Dave

[broakham]

   And here is another thought. Just above the street sign could there be an old type telephone line bracket with a cable running down over the street sign ?

   Dave

[Paul E]

Dave

I didn't see the basement rooms either - at first! 

But I think Tomkin's right - take a look at the complicated arrangement of the iron fencing, as it approaches the doorway to the hotel.   Seems to me like there might be a gate there, leading to steps.

That doesn't mean there isn't a garden area - it's still possible to have a small area raised up between the fence and the basement areas.

Paul

[drodgers34]

here's another map .... or is it the same one ??

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01at/

Yes, it's the same map, just zoned on The Wicker (North North East of the City), whereas the current Midland Station and Sheaf Street/Pond Street are in the east of the city

If you look at google maps or similar, there is a whole block which has been demolished east of wicker st, west of the river and south of the arches

Look at the photo

http://www.hedgerow.co.uk/hpl/images/spc273-large.jpg

showing the wicker street much narrower. Notice lettering on the viaduct.

The building you can see part of on the right seems to be the style of the hotel in question

Anyway there are some good old photos of the area in hedgerows archives