TheAngel and Royalis a hotel inGrantham, Lincolnshire,which has been in operation since 1203, making it one of theoldest hotels in the world.The hotel is known to have hosted a large number of royals in the past.

The Angel and Royal Hotel
The front of the Angel and Royal Hotel, Grantham, showing the front of the building with a 15th century facade.
The Angel and Royal Hotel
Map
Former namesThe Angel, The Angel Inn
General information
TypeInn, hotel
Architectural styleMedieval
LocationHigh Street
AddressGrantham, Lincolnshire
CountryEngland
Coordinates52°54′47″N0°38′33″W/ 52.913006°N 0.642584°W/52.913006; -0.642584
Renovated14th C, 15th C, 2002[1]
OwnerAshdale Hotels
AffiliationBest Western
Technical details
MaterialStone, brick
Floor count2
Other information
Number of rooms29
Website
www.angelandroyal.co.uk
Listed Building– Grade I
Designated8 May 1950(1950-05-08)
Reference no.1062486

History

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The hotel, originally namedThe Angel,started as ahostelbuilt by theKnights Templarin 1203 on theGreat North Road,which at the time passed through the centre of Grantham.[2][3][4]The hostelry was run by the Knights until their dissolution in 1312.[3]The hostel started developing into acoaching innover the years.

In 1812 the Inn was sold byLord BrownlowtoSir William Manners,along with his other property in Grantham.[5]In 2002 the hotel was purchased by Ashdale Hotels and underwent extensive renovation.[2]

Royal visits

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A number of English royals are known to have stayed at The Angel. The first to stay wasKing John,who heldcourtat the hotel on 23 February 1213.[6][7][8]Edward IIIandQueen Philippastayed at the hotel in the 14th century; their heads are carved on the front of the building.[8][9]

On 19 October 1483Richard IIIheld court at the inn.[8][10]It was from the "Chambre de' Roi" that he sent a letter requesting for theGreat Sealto issue thedeath warrantagainst his cousin,Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckinghamfor his instigation ofBuckingham's rebellion.[6][9][11]Copies of the letter, the original of which is kept by theBritish Museum,are displayed in the hotel's dining room.[12]

After this, the next royal to visit wasCharles Iwho stayed on 17 May 1633 to receivehomagefrom thealdermanof Grantham at the time, Henry Ferman.[6][8][13]Oliver Cromwell,fighting against Charles, quartered troops at The Angel in 1643 during theEnglish Civil War,after a successful battle near Grantham.[7][14]George IVstayed on a number of occasions in the 19th century.[15]Edward VII,who was thePrince of Walesat the time, stayed in 1866.[3][6]

Construction

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The Angel and Royal consists of a number of buildings surrounding an internal courtyard open at both ends, to allow the passage of coach and horses when the hotel still operated as acoaching inn.

The arched doorway at the front of the building is the oldest part of the facade, originating from the 14th century, as do parts of the courtyard buildings.[16]The heads ofEdward IIIandPhilippaare carved on thecorbelson either side, underneath anoriel window.Directly under the window is a gold-painted carved wooden figure of an angel. The rest of the facade is approximately a century newer.[8][9][17]The front of the building is built ofashlarblocks of locally sourcedoolite.[18]

The "Chambre de' Roi", Richard III's room for his stay at the inn, covers the whole of the first floor with the twomullionedbay windowsfor both ground and first floors at either end.[16]

Name

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The 'Angel' part of the hotel's name comes from the gold-painted wooden demi-angels at the front of the building, holding the crown ofRichard III.[1][5]Despite the many royal visits in previous centuries, the "and Royal" suffix was only added to the name in 1866, when the inn was visited by the futureKing Edward VII(though he wasPrince of Walesat the time).[3][6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"The last Plantagenet - King of England comes to rest".Lincolnshire Life.Retrieved13 October2015.
  2. ^ab"10 of the best hotels in Lincolnshire".Lincolnshire Echo.23 November 2011.Retrieved13 October2015.
  3. ^abcdRoyal, Lauren(2012)."Author's note".Emerald: The Marquess's Scottish Bride.Novelty Publishing. p. 339.ISBN978-1-938907-01-2.OCLC45177879.
  4. ^Brown, Pete(8 November 2012).Shakespeare's Local: Seven Centuries of History Seen Through One Extraordinary Pub.Pan Macmillan.pp. 84–85.ISBN978-0-230-76126-1.
  5. ^abWhite, William (1846)."History of Grantham".History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Leicestershire, and the Small County of Rutland.p. 672.OCLC6334203.
  6. ^abcdeRothwell, David (2006).Dictionary of Pub Names.Wordsworth Editions. p. 19.ISBN978-1-84022-266-1.
  7. ^abNyren, Elva Wilson (1970).Wilsons: England to America, 1600-1970: a genealogy.Express Pub. Co. p. 17.OCLC86728.Retrieved29 April2015.
  8. ^abcdeMeasom, George Samuel(1861).The Official Illustrated Guide to the Great Northern Railway.Reed and Pardon. pp. 141–143.OCLC680989572.
  9. ^abcSympson, E. Mansel (1913).Lincolnshire.Cambridge County Geographies.Cambridge University Press.pp.139–140.OCLC5969618.Retrieved30 April2015.
  10. ^Moore, James (2015)."Inns and Executions".Murder at the Inn: A Criminal History of Britain's Pubs and Hotels.The History Press.p. 41.ISBN978-0-7509-5683-3.OCLC893454095.
  11. ^Turner, Sharon(1823)."Richard III".The History of England During the Middle Ages.Vol. 3.Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown.p. 505.OCLC831592282.
  12. ^Fidler, Kathleen(1973).Stories of Old Inns.Epworth Press. p. 31.ISBN978-0-7162-0231-8.OCLC2119966.
  13. ^Larwood, Jacob;Hotten, John Camden(1867).The History of Signboards: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day.J. C. Hotton. p.268.OCLC851323.Retrieved30 April2015.
  14. ^Williams, Hywel (2005).Cassell's Chronology of World History.London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp.259–260.ISBN0-304-35730-8.
  15. ^Dale, Thomas Francis(1899).The History of the Belvoir Hunt.A. Constable and Company.p.236.OCLC5884930.Retrieved30 April2015.George IV.
  16. ^abAlbert Edward, Richardson;Harold Donaldson, Eberlein (1926).The English inn, past and present.B. T. Batsford.pp. 7–8, 97, 112, 223–224.OCLC459803235.Retrieved8 May2015.
  17. ^Ditchfield, P. H. (2007).Vanishing England.Echo Library. p. 117.ISBN978-1-4068-6148-8.
  18. ^Denby, Elaine (1998).Grand Hotels: Reality and Illusion.Reaktion Books.p. 17.ISBN978-1-86189-121-1.OCLC40065676.
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