1522

41  

II  

Designated  

24/10/1991  

14/02/1994  

Bee and Station Hotel  

41 Bodfor Street  

Denbighshire  

Rhyl  

 

 

300877  

381228  

 

Prominent building at SE end of street, on a corner opposite the station.  

Commercial  

 

Built between 1861 and 1868, almost certainly for use as a public house from the outset. The present layout with angled entrance to public bar (formerly apparently divided across the angle into 2 smaller rooms), bar counter adjoining internal wall, and lobby off main entrance, appears to have been established in alterations to the building carried out in 1877, although it is likely that the decorative tile work which is such a feature of the ground floor, and the internal joinery, are the result of further remodelling work in c1890.  

Roughcast render, simulating rusticated ashlar, and slate roofs with rendered stacks set mid-way in front and rear slopes. Three storeys, 4-window range to Bodfor Street, with wide 2-window gabled return to station forecourt, short rear wing with some single storeyed extensions to rear. Lower storey has complete tiled decorative scheme across both elevations. The ground is tiled in 2 shades of brown, articulated by moulded plinth and pilasters flanking the windows, decorated with green embossed tiles embellished with anthemion motifs, which are also used on panels beneath the windows. Pilasters terminate in paired ribbed brackets supporting a cornice. Doorway to public bar across corner, and to entrance hall to right of centre of main elevation. This doorway is round arched and has gilded lettering in fanlight, ‘Bee Commercial Hotel’. Lower windows are all segmentally arched, and the 2 windows to the right of the main entrance have smoked glass, patterned and incorporating lettering, ‘Smoke Room’. First floor has 4 oriel canted bay windows with heavy cornices, and sashes with margin light glazing; 2-pane sashes with margin lights in upper storey. Gabled return to left has two 12-pane sash windows.  

Main entrance in Bodfor Street elevation opens on to a square lobby, divided from the main entrance hall by a panelled and glazed partition and doorway, with bevelled glasswork. The lobby is entirely walled in brightly coloured, richly decorated tile-work, arranged as a series of panels loosely forming dado, upper panel and frieze. Trailed floral motifs in frieze, urns and foliage, etc, in panels which are separated by mosaic tiles. The tile design is reminiscent of the work of Maw and Co of Jackfield, but the manufacturer has not been identified. The internal plan of the public house remains as established in a late C19 remodelling, with public bar occupying the full-depth of the building to the left of the main entrance hall, and is itself directly entered from the street by the angled doorway. The bar, canted in plan, is built against the internal long wall, and a serving hatch set in panelling with bevelled mirrorwork on the hall side, enables service for the former smoke-room (now games room) and rear lounge bar to the right of the passage. Joinery in public bar and entrance hall is characterised by heavy reeded pilasters, ornamenting the bar itself, and forming architraves to doorways. Late C19 fireplace with overmantle in former smoke-room.  

Included as an excellent example of a late C19 public house, with high quality, complete tiled frontage, and a rare surviving internal layout.