Zetland Hotel

The Zetland Hotel is located on the north east coast of England at Saltburn by the Sea, Yorkshire . It was designed by William Peachey, architect to the Stockton & Darlington Railway. Saltburn itself would not have existed if it was not for one man - Henry Pease.

It is said that he built the town from scratch after having an apparition of a heavenly city above the cliffs. Henry Pease set up the Saltburn Improvement Company to help create his vision of the town which is largely unchanged today. The town is clad in hundreds of tonnes of distinctive white bricks made in a factory in Durham and transported to Saltburn via railway, both owned by the Pease family. The Zetland Hotel was said to be the jewel in his crown.

On October 2, 1861 the foundations were laid for the hotel by Lord Zetland. The specification included that white fire bricks had to be used with Westmoreland slate on the roof. A glass canopy from the station platform to the rear entrance of the hotel had to be constructed to protect the guests from the elements. The Zetland Hotel was one of the world's earliest purpose built railway hotels with its own private platform (the very first was built in Derby). The hotel was opened, again by Lord Zetland on July 27, 1863.

Early tariffs indicate that room rates ranged from 2s 6d for a regular bedroom to 4s 6d for an extra large bedroom.

In addition the hotel boasted lawn tennis courts facing Dundas Street. Also featured were hot and cold sea and fresh water baths. The hotel proved to be extremely popular and in 1876 magistrates granted an extension of opening hours from 10.00pm to 11.00pm to encourage trade. Alcoholic drinks however, were still not allowed for consumption on the open terraces. In 1882, John Richardson was fined 5/- for drinking a glass of beer outside the hotel. The manager of the hotel, Mr Verini, was also fined 5/- for supplying him.

From a visitor’s handbook of 1863, the Zetland Hotel was described as

However, by the early 70s the number of visitors to the town had dropped substantially. Many hotels struggled to survive and had to close. Eventually, the Zetland Hotel also closed and was converted into apartments in 1989. The station platform, canopy and railway buffer however, can still be seen. The building is now known simply as 'The Zetland'.

Today, thanks to the fact that the much of the town has remained unchanged, Saltburn has been encapsulated as one of the finest Victorian seaside towns in the country and is once again a popular tourist destination.

External links

* [http://www.saltburnbysea.com/ Saltburn by the Sea]
* [http://www.visitsaltburn.co.uk Visit Saltburn]
* [http://saltburn-by-the-sea.blogspot.com/ Saltburn blog]
* [http://www.huntcliff.co.uk/histweb/Huntcliff%20Website/LocalHistory/Victorian/ZetlandHotel/ZetlandHotel.htm Huntcliff school history project]
* [http://www.saltburnhistory.co.uk/index.html Huntcliff History Club]