The North Stafford Hotel is a Grade II* listed hotel in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, opposite the city's

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

, also a Grade II* listed building.

History and design

The hotel was built by

John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the f ...

for the

North Staffordshire Railway The North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire. The company was based ...

(NSR) in 1849 at a cost of £8,843. The building is three stories high and based on an Elizabethan-style "E"-shaped plan. The design is similar to that of the station but more subdued; the building was extended in 1878. The building is mainly brick-built, with blue stone

diapering Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, and silverwork. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces. Etymology For the full etymolo ...

and a plain tiled roof and Dutch-style

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

s above the outer and central

bay window A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. Types Bay window is a generic term for all protruding window constructions, regardless of whether they are curved or angular, or ...

s. The central ground floor bay forms a porch. The hotel was built to resemble an Elizabethan manor house. The hotel quickly built an up a good reputation and, within a few years, was regarded as one most important hotels in Staffordshire. When the County Borough of Stoke on Trent was formed in 1910, incorporating six towns, the hotel was chosen the venue for the inaugural meeting of the local council to avoid showing a bias by using one of the six town halls—a matter of local sensitivity at the time. Subsequent meetings rotated between the town halls before the council decided to permanently locate itself in Stoke. The NSR preferred to lease the building, with limited success. When the NSR was amalgamated into the

London Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...

(LMS) in 1923, the LMS took over the hotel and found the business in poor condition. When a lease expired in 1931, the LMS took the management of the hotel into its own hands and undertook an extensive refurbishment of the building. The hotel has been expanded several times during its history, including additional buildings to the rear, in order to provide more bedrooms and kitchen space. Not all the extensions were conducted sympathetically to the original architectural style, resulting in a variety of architectural styles to the rear of the building. The hotel became a listed building in 1972 and is listed in grade II*. It is located on Winton Square, immediately opposite Stoke-on-Trent railway station, and is one of four listed buildings on the square. The station itself is grade II* listed, and a statue of local potter

Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indus ...

is grade II listed; a row of railway cottages forms another grade II listed building. Winton Square is described as the UK's only piece of town planning undertaken by railway company specifically to set off a station. The hotel, by then owned by the nationalised British Rail, was sold in 1953 and today is owned by the Britannia Hotels chain, who acquired it in November 2002; it has 88 bedrooms.

References

{{Stoke-on-Trent Hotels in Stoke-on-Trent Railway hotels in England 1849 establishments in England North Staffordshire Railway Grade II* listed buildings in Staffordshire Hotels established in 1849