The Royal Hotel (1740 – 1962) at number 78, Stockton High street. This photograph shows the ground floor occupied by shops; Millers Candy Stores, Maison de Chapeaux and C. W. Laws Drapers.
We believe this photograph to be c1920.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Difficult to decide whether this building was originally erected as an Hotel, or was a large ‘converted’ townhouse residence. Looking at the other photographs (shown in the links) one would have expected to see an arched entry to stabling facilities at the rear if it was built as an 18thC. hotel. This could have been in the parapeted l/hand section (shown as a large shopfront in one photograph).
Later, the above expensive and very decorative row of shopfronts has been installed across the whole ground-floor areas of the facade. Note how the ‘swagged’ glazing-bar detailing to the upper sections of the timber shopfronts is echoed in the projecting metal framed canopy over the front entrance to the hotel.
However, Georgian facades were all about symmetry and one wonders why the hotel-entrance has been shifted slightly out of line with the upper windows in all images?
It’s also a striking fact, that in a long ago era, before WWII, when hat-wearing was almost mandatory for both genders, that a retailer was confident enough (perhaps even in the education system), to generate a sense of ‘exclusivity’ for his or her outlet by naming it in French, instead of the more ordinary ‘House of Hats’.
If you enter Royal Hotel into the search box you will find a number of views of the High Street showing this building….
for example.
https://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/stockton-high-street-1957-5/
and
https://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2004/10/13/elliotts-royal-hotel-stockton-high-street/
Pity only part of the hotel is in the photo. I wonder if anyone has a photo showing the whole frontage? Tees Amateur Boating Club (now Tees Rowing Club) held their Annual General meetings there for many years in the early part of the 20th century and we would be interested to add this to our history of the club.