Structure Name: Centre of Britain Hotel & Restaurant

Description:
 

Formerly the Red Lion Hotel. The Centre of Britain Hotel is three storeys and three bays to the front, the east end of which is a converted pele tower of parallelogram shape, with a forward-projecting parapet. The walls are upwards of 1m thick. The main entrance to the hotel is at the right hand bay of the 18th century wing, beneath a high porch.
 

Extant: Yes

Legal Status: Listed Building Grade II*

Location: Haltwhistle, NORTHUMBERLAND

Eastings: 370770m (view map)

Northings: 564110m (view map)

Position Accuracy: 20m

Positional Confidence: Absolute Certainty

Street Address
 

Market Square
 

Post Code: NE49 0BH

Structure Types Identified: CAFE, COACHING INN, EXCISE OFFICE, HOTEL, MANOR HOUSE, PELE TOWER, POST OFFICE, PUBLIC HOUSE, TEMPERANCE HOTEL, TOWER HOUSE

Historical Background
 

Documents dating from 1415 mention a tower in the locality, but the Centre of Britain's character makes it more likely that the tower now incorporated into the hotel dates from the early 17th century, making it contemporary with a number of local bastles.

The earliest reference to the extended building as the Red Lion Hotel is in 1828 - soon after this it briefly became a Temperance Hotel.
 

Chronology:

• EARLY 17TH CENTURY   Probable construction of pele tower.
• EARLY 18TH CENTURY   Wing attached to left.
• 1750 - 1850   Main front refenestrated and refaced. Alterations to rear of building.
• MID 20TH CENTURY   Interior gutted and remodelled. Concrete floor laid down.
• 1997   Complete refurbishment.
      Entities Involved:
            Taylor, David: Commissioned works.
            Kirkebjerg, Grethe: Commissioned works.
• 1999   4 bedrooms added to rear.

Notes
 

see http://www.centre-of-britain.org.uk/ [last accessed 8/12/2003]
 

References:

• Images of England
• Keys To The Past
• Northumberland SMR
• Pevsner, N., Richmond, I., Grundy, J., McCombie, G., Ryder, P. and Welfare, H. (2001) The Buildings of England: Northumberland. London, Penguin Books, p.300

The information displayed in this page has been derived from authoritative sources, including any referenced above. Although substantial efforts were made to verify this information, the SINE project cannot guarantee its correctness or completeness.

view images of this structure
view location on a map

suggestions / comments welcome
  go to the top