SHERINGHAM
HOTELS |
| We have been able to put together a short article about
the Hotels in Sheringham, as remembered by a Sheringham resident, photographs courtesy of
Audrey Chapman and John Fetherstone. I first came to live in Sheringham in 1933 when, it
was what can only be described as a small 'cosy' seaside town with about four thousand in
population, including many retired people. For example ex bank managers, ex army officers
and a few titled people, etc. However during the summer season the population increased
somewhat with the in-flux of holidaymakers. There were six main hotels, numerous
guesthouses and most householders who had any rooms to spare provided 'apartments'. The
holidaymakers provided work and income for many as well as trade for the business people.
Some of these holidaymakers were driven from their own homes to Sheringham in their own
chauffeur driven cars. Of course the town was also served very well with trains travelling
to and from and through the then M&GN railway station (now the North Norfolk Railway).
There were always two taxis ready and waiting for passengers coming off incoming
trains, one taxi was owned and driven by a Mr Graver who lived in North Street, |
the other one by Mr Stebbings who lived in Augusta
Street. Eastern County buses also served very regularly along the coast road daily and
more than once a day.
The Station Hotel was on the corner of Station Approach and St Peter's Road and was there
to provide instant refreshment for Sheringham's train arrivals, staff, local coal men and
farmers. It later became known as The Dolphin Hotel.
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Burlington Hotel was originally known as The Burlington
Apartments when it was built in 1899 but in 1904 was described as The Burlington Private
Hotel and is as you know still going strong today.
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| The Grand Hotel, Sheringham's finest Victorian hotel built
in 1898, as part of new development following the arrival of the railway. It was
demolished in 1974 and now has domestic housing on the site. The Grand Hotel dominated the
sea front, an impressive looking building with two big domes, one at each corner at the
front of the building. |
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Both these hotels had ground floor ball rooms where, from
the nearby roads anyone interested would stand and watch the dancers, dancing the night
away, all ladies arrayed in their long and beautiful dresses and the men in their dinner
suits, white shirts and black bow ties. The Sheringham Hotel, it had turrats on two of its
corners overlooking the 'Weybourne - Cromer Road' and to the golf links. It was built in
1889 at a cost of £10,000. It was better situated for the golf links rather than the sea.
It claimed it was the largest hotel in Sheringham. The other hotels were The Dormy, The
Burlington, The Bijou (now The Two Lifeboats) and Southlands. Beaumaris was not a hotel at
that time it was a guesthouse and at the opposite side of the street to where it is now).
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