4 St Botolph’s Circus (north side) – the Dickens Hotel

[JB] Hotel, c. 1865. Red brick. Gabled front of three storeys and five bays. Upper floors have rusticated quoins, repeated either side of the centre bay. Centre window of first floor has a shallow segmental pediment. The gable has scalloped bargeboards and is plastered, with applied half-timbering which, combined with the shallow pitch of the roof, gives the effect of a Swiss chalet.
An unusual building for its date, with a certain panache appropriate to its use as a hotel and bar. Built by 1866, when it was known as the Fountain Wine and Spirit Stores. See Jess A. Jephcott, The Inns, Taverns and Pubs of Colchester (1995), pp 123-4. [JB] Adjacent to St Botolph’s railway station. Survival from original St Botolph’s Corner.
Nos 2-4, station house and the railway station form a group, of which the station house is a listed building.
In painting by Charles Debenham.
List of publicans:
1867/William Henry Bagg/Wine & Spirit Stores/../../Post Office
1874/George Allen/../../../Kelly’s
1878/George Allen/../../../Kelly’s
1882/George Allen/../../../Kelly’s
1886/George Allen/../../../Kelly’s
1894/George Allen/../../../Kelly’s
1895/George Allen/../../../Kelly’s
1898/George Henry Hollingbery/../../../Kelly’s
1899/G. H. Hollingbery/../../../Kelly’s
1900/George Henry Hollingbury / Licensed Victualler //../../../London Gazette, 9 March 1900 **
1901/William H Jones/Licensed Victualler – The Fountain/50/Shrewsbury, Salop/Census ****
1901/Sarah A Jones/Wife/48/Wantage, Berks/Census
1901/William H Jones/Son/12/Streatham, London/Census
1901/Alice A Jones/Daughter/11/Streatham, London/Census
1902/Frederick Charles Dawkins/../../../Kelly’s
1914/Frank Taylor/../../../Kelly’s Directory **
1917/William Gatrill/../../../Kelly’s
1925/Leslie L. Foster/../../../Kelly’s
1933/Frederick Jones/../../../Kelly’s
1937/Frederick Jones/../../../Kelly’s