The Ossington Coffee Palace of 1882, Newark's outstanding Victorian building, given by Viscountess Ossington to demonstrate loudly against strong drink and uphold the banner of coffee. Designed by one of the most expensive London firms of architects, Ernest George & Peto. Towards the river … a curving wall in stripes of stone and brick, which preserves the line and level of the medieval town wall. (1)
A coffee palace built in 1881-2 under an endowment by Viscountess Ossington. Lady Ossington was a member of the Temperance movement, which campaigned against the recreational use and sale of alcohol and promoted teetotalism. The foundation stone was laid on the 10 November 1881. The building was designed by London architectural firm Ernest George and Peto. The coffee palace failed to find a following in Newark and by 1889 had been converted into a hotel. In the late 20th century the upper floors of the building were converted into residential use, with the ground floor remaining in use as commercial premises. The building is a striking example of Vernacular Revival, with heavily carved timberwork and oriel windows. Ernest George and Peto were known for an architectural style often influenced by Flemish and German townhouses and this is evident in the use of decorative close studded timberwork and the plasterwork panels between each of the oriel windows. The western elevation overlooks a Victorian take on a German ‘bier’ garden. The garden is enclosed behind a sweeping curved wall of banded brick and lias limestone, behind which is concealed a two-storey summerhouse. A further courtyard is accessed via an arched entrance off Beast Market Hill. This provides access to the former club room and stables, also designed by Ernest George and Peto in 1882, executed in red brick with blue-brick dressings and tile-hung gables. Both the main hotel and the associated buildings are Grade II* listed. (2)

Listed buildings slides, 9 slides (Photograph). SNT2648.

<1> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p 199 (Monograph). SNT4.

<2> Historic England, 2024, Newark on Trent, Historic Area Assessment by Historic England (Unpublished document). SNT6029.