Quote:
Originally Posted by eastsussexred
I also think that the taller section of The Turf Hotel was originally constructed as a square building (as shown on the tithe map attachment a few posts back) and was originally known as just another part of The Turf Tavern.
There are later newspaper articles which refer to people dining in ‘the large room at The Turf Tavern’ and I believe that these articles reflect an earlier name used for this side of the tavern; i.e. before this section was renamed as The Grandstand.
The earliest reference that I can find to this section being called The Grandstand, comes from a newspaper report of cricketers having dinner in ‘The Grandstand’ in 1841, and so I believe that as the popularity of the races increased, a decision was made to add a balcony to the taller section, at the end of 1830’s, which resulted in the addition of a canted bay and a balcony (as attachment 1) and the taller section subsequently was renamed as The Grandstand
I also believe that The Turf Tavern garden (also shown on another attachment a few posts back) was originally a field, which belonged to the estate of the house known as The Crispin.
There is a map from 1793-1795 (previously posted) which shows a diagonal boundary line/hedgerow from The Crispin to another very small plot of land which had been sectioned off from the rest of The Racecourse. This smaller plot was the location where The Turf Tavern was built. I have added the boundary line on a later map (attached)
It is difficult to envisage now, because the Mold Road end of Crispin Lane was diverted slightly to the west (towards The Racecourse) in the 1890’s, but back in the 18th Century, Crispin Lane was just a four foot wide track way, which had evolved on the silted up ditch of Wat’s Dyke. This lane had served as a traditional thoroughfare, which connected the original Rhosddu Lane with Hope Street (now Mold Road) and The Racecourse extended right up to the hedge line of Wat’s Dyke’s ditch/Crispin Lane. The lane became known, locally, as a lovers lane and was made more accessible with a gravel surface in the 1850’s, but the diversion works in the 1890’s swallowed up the old Turf Tavern garden, which at that time, still backed onto the original lane. After the diversion works an L shaped area of land, which was comprised of two different plots, remained on The Racecourse side of Crispin Lane. The first plot, which faced onto Crispin Lane, had previously been the location of the armoury and headquarters of the volunteer force of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, which was demolished during the diversion works and was sold as a builders yard. The second plot faced onto Mold Road (where the charity shop is today) and was sold to the same buyer at the same auction. (as Attachment 2).
The land on which the railway was built, was at one time known as ‘Crispin Field’ and there was another field, beyond the Yale Stand, which was know as Crispin Croft.
There was also a field known as ‘Crispin Meadow’ on Stansty Park and another Crispin Field between Stansty Lodge and Plas Coch, although I imagine that the field between The Crispin and The Turf Tavern (including the Turf Tavern Garden) as shown on the attachment, would also have been known as Crispin Field at some point in the distant past.
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Often, if a building is extended and rendered over to aesthetically bind both parts of the structure together, then a joint may appear between the two parts of the building. This happens because a different brick has been used to extend the building and the type of brick used has a different porosity than the original bricks used for original part of the building.
As the render dries, this difference in bricks becomes apparent due to cracks in the render, where the two types of bricks were joined, or also in the appearance of the render itself, which absorbs into the different types of bricks accordingly, depending on their porosity.
This ‘shadowing’ in render is a sure sign that a building has been extended, and which can be seen on the two photo’s that I have attached, showing the side of the current Turf Hotel.
To the right of both photos (upper right above the doorway) you can see a darker shade in the pebbledashing on the outer walls of The Turf Hotel- where the balcony was built as an extension onto the original building. But also, you can see the shadows of the original quoins, before the balcony was added.
Quoins were originally comprised of masonry blocks that added strength to the corners of buildings, but were later comprised of bricks that were laid slightly proud of the rest of the walls, which could then be rendered, while the toothed pattern of the quoins provided a decorative feature.
On all sections of The Turf Hotel today, the quoins are rendered (to look like masonry quoins) and painted to highlight this feature, but if you look to the right of both photos attached (taken from opposing angles) then you can see the darker shadowing in the render, which highlights the toothed pattern of the original quoins, before the rear of the Turf was extended with a balcony. You can also see that the roof over the balcony is of a different design, with a different pitch (slope).
As posted many times previously, the original Turf Tavern (the lower section of the current Turf Hotel) was built between 1795 and 1819, and this part of the pub still exists today. But a new taller section (where the bar area is today) was built sometime around 1830, just a few metres away from the tavern, as a more exclusive establishment for the more well-healed racegoers..
Initially, this new section was a square building, which was known in 1841 as 'The Grandstand' although originally it may have not had a balcony, but rather, windows, which overlooked the finishing line. But in 1854, the course was upgraded and the buildings were joined together at first floor level, by means of an undercroft. At the same time, the taller section was extended with a balcony and one corner of this square building was hacked off to accommodate an angled double door, which provided access to the new balcony.
In 1913, all sections of the Turf were renovated. The undercroft, which had previously only joined the two buildings at first floor level, was now bricked up, to form a ground floor lounge also, while the windows were replaced and the external timber framed facade at the rear of the taller section was ripped out and re-clad with the rendered panels that still adorn the rear of the building today. The doorway onto the balcony was also bricked up at this time and the outer skin was filled with the same rendered panels.