Headland Hotel

Slivanus Trevail had begun to sense the potential of catering to visitors brought by the Great Western Railway Company. Trevail’s Great Western Hotel at Newquay, completed in 1879, was the first in a string of hotels designed to appeal to renewed interest in Cornwall as a winter resort for the middle classes. His Cornish Hotels Company was set up in 1890 to tap into that market.[2]

After his Atlantic Hotel was built in 1892[3] he intended to build an upmarket estate, with a luxury hotel, on the headlands of Newquay but lack of money hampered his plans. This scheme provoked a lot of opposition from the local people of Newquay.[4] When building finally began on the Headland Hotel in 1897, riots broke out in the town as it threatened the local custom of using the clifftop as grazing land and space to dry fishermen’s nets.[5] This, together with planning problems, delayed completion until June 1900 by which time a rival hotel, the Victoria, which had started construction later, was already open. The contractor for the Headland was Arthur Carkeek of Redruth with the terracotta coming from Ruabon, North Wales. James Shoolbred & Co of London supplied most of the furniture.[6]

Trevail suggested the hotel would be 'The largest hotel in the west', twice the size of the Atlantic hotel and in a better position. The building was lavishly decorated with red Rueben terracotta columns and pediments. It would have an electric lift and electric lighting in all rooms.[6] Originally the cost of building the hotel was estimated at £25,000 including £4,000’s worth of terracotta, but Trevail installed luxurious furnishings from Heal’s of London, expensive kitchen equipment, a tennis court and 4 croquet lawn.” The eventual cost was £50,000 all together.[6]

The hotel received its first guests in June 1900.[7] It is, according to Nikolaus Pevsner, "decidedly disappointing, Victorian, yellow and red brick, tall and symmetrical, pavilion roofs and no redeeming features".[8] It is one of the few hotels in Newquay to retain its original appearance.[1]

In 1911, Edward, Prince of Wales, and his brother Prince Albert (later Kings Edward VIII and George VI respectively) recuperated at the hotel after catching measles and mumps while studying at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.[9]

The 1990 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel The Witches was shot here, and was called "Hotel Excelsior" in the film.[10]

• 
  The Headland Hotel.
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  Entrance
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  Towan Head and the Headland Hotel from Fistral Beach
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  View towards the Headland Hotel from Porth Beach
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  Cafe at Fistral Beach and Headland Hotel/

• Media related to Headland Hotel at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website