Soldiers Point Hotel, Holyhead
Soldiers Point Hotel
| Date | 17 June 2012 | ||
| Location | Soldiers Point Quay, Holyhead | SH 23636 83528; 53.31920°N, 4.64918°W | |
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Information |
Soldiers Point Hotel, also known as the ‘Old Castle’ building, was built in 1848 as the residence of the Engineer in charge of the Government-sponsored alterations to Holyhead harbour being carried out as part of improvements to the mail route from London to Dublin. John Hawkshaw succeeded James Meadows Rendel in this post when the latter died in 1856. The grounds of this two-storey castellated Victorian mansion are bounded by curtain walls with ‘folly’ towers — one of which, looking out onto the harbour, functioned as a pillbox during the Second World War. Over the years, the house has been used as a private residence as well as as a hotel, and has been derelict for a number of years. In September 2011 the property was gutted by a fire; at the time it had apparently been occupied by homeless people. The house is owned by Conygar Stena — a partnership between Stena Line and the Conygar Investment Company — and features in their ambitious waterfront regeneration plans for the town. In the proposals, which were unveiled in 2010, the house would be renovated as a new, larger home for Holyhead’s Maritime Museum. Soldiers’ Point Hotel (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales);
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Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Soldiers Point Hotel
Looks like a fab explore, Graham- and superb photos..I can’t pick a fave, they are all super.
teigl
June 19, 2012 at 8:21 pm
Thanks Iain
Graham Stephen
June 20, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Can I book a room? What’s for breakfast? – more plaster raining down from the ceiling?
Excellent photos.
Kris
June 19, 2012 at 9:09 pm
No advance booking required
Graham Stephen
June 20, 2012 at 7:23 pm
That’s a grand looking place, I’m sure it’ll be finished at around the same time Gwrych Castle, whenever that may be……
andy
June 19, 2012 at 9:20 pm
It is rather fine. Yeah, don’t hold your breath…
Graham Stephen
June 20, 2012 at 7:25 pm
I am in love. I know it’s not a “real” castle, but it exudes a lot of the castle flavor (from my perspective), AND it’s located in Europe, such a long way from my mundane State of Indiana. I am glad they are renovating it and not letting it deteriorate even more. I love many of the images you took, but the one that made me chuckle because it was so out of place was the window piece (lobster?). It is such an anomaly to the rest of the hotel. The gutted insides are fascinating, also.
Dezra Despain
June 20, 2012 at 12:07 am
Thanks Dezra. Mundane Indiana to you; exotic sounding to me…
Graham Stephen
June 20, 2012 at 7:26 pm
fascinating pictures…
ShimonZ
June 20, 2012 at 3:14 am
Thank you Shimon
Graham Stephen
June 20, 2012 at 7:27 pm
[...] supervised by James Meadows Rendel and after Rendel’s death in 1856, by John Hawkshaw. The mock castle at Soldiers Point was built in 1848 as the Superintendent Engineer’s [...]
Holyhead Breakwater « GeoTopoi
June 20, 2012 at 6:42 pm
So sad to hear it was destroyed by fire! Such a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing
Olivia Wolfe
June 21, 2012 at 10:25 pm
after seeing this building for the first time over the weekend its lovely to find out more about it and to here that its being renovated I look forward to visiting again to see it in a better condition
Leanne Davies
July 20, 2012 at 9:11 pm
[...] one end of it is also the now derelict (and fire gutted) Soldiers Point Hotel. A shame really, it looked an interesting [...]
Stack, stack, seal | Cycleit2
October 10, 2012 at 10:13 pm
really love this buildinng i have family who live in holyhead everytime i visit i go and its such a shame such a lovely building and still not renevated cant wait for the day to see its full potential i was looking up this building to see its history as i would love to buy it and live in it
elaine
May 6, 2013 at 7:07 pm