Survey Data
Reg No
14819009
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Social, Technical
Original Use
Coaching inn
In Use As
Hotel
Date
1740 - 1750
Coordinates
206049, 205000
Date Recorded
23/08/2004
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Corner-sited eight-bay three-storey inn, built c.1745, with integral carriage arch to south with single-storey above and adjoining perpendicular six-bay two-storey wing to south. Fronts directly onto Emmet Square. Pitched slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles, rendered chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. Roof to southern wing is hidden by curvilinear parapet with painted illustration and date plaques. Pebbledashed walls with smooth render to plinth and eaves course. Ruled-and-lined render to adjoining wing. Original and replacement timber sash windows with rendered surround and painted sills. Segmental-headed door opening with moulded stucco surround, replacement glazed timber door and fanlight, flanked by sidelights. Segmental-headed integral carriage arch to south of main façade, accessing rear site.
Appraisal
Dooly's Hotel, established as a coaching inn in 1747, occupies a dominant position in Emmet Square and stands as a reminder of Birr's historic past. Its Georgian façade is enhanced by the retention of much of its original fabric, a prime example being its sash windows with exposed sash boxes. The two-storey elevation to the west with its curvilinear gabled parapet is unique within The Square and enriches the exterior of Dooly's. Forming a significant boundary on the eastern and southern sides of Emmet Square, the hotel is a notable feature within the streetscape.