Soldier's Point House, Holyhead, Angelsea, North Wales, July 2020

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HughieD

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1. The History
Built in 1848, the Soldier's Point Hotel was formerly the residence of the Government contractor. The early Victorian castellated building had two stories, barred windows and curtain wall towers and was faced in stucco. It was constructed in 1849 by Charles Rigby, the contractor for the Holyhead Breakwater, for his own residence. Based on two L-plan structures, the main house faced south-east.

In March 1918, the house’s then owner Lieutenant AF Pearson, chairman of the local magistrates, was charged with hoarding food including rice, jam, and sugar. The charges were dropped after he explained that wounded soldiers were treated to tea at the house every Sunday. It was expanded in the early twentieth century, with a substantial two-storey addition added to the west of the house after 1970. The second L-plan structure were out-buildings with castellations and turrets as per the main house. One of the towers of this screen wall was converted into a pill box during the Second World War.

Archive picture when it was still pretty much in its prime:

50274179373_417fa28aa4_b.jpgSoldier's point 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

In the mid-twentieth century circa 1950 it became a hotel but then fell into disuse around the turn of the twenty-first century, having been Grade II listed in July 1994. Plans were afoot to convert the old Victorian home into Holyhead’s Maritime Museum, but these never came to fruition as the direct consequences of fire in September 2011 which took 20 firefighters battling for more than 12 hours to put out the blaze. Since then it has been left as an empty shell.

Down the hill is its smaller sister house. Known as ‘Government House’ it was also built by Mr Rigby circa 1849 for use of Mr Dobson, his resident engineer. It was then used for some years as harbourmaster’s residence before becoming abandoned and falling into disrepair.

2. The Explore
Nothing special to be honest but it does have a fine façade and that, indeed, turns out to be this rather burnt-out shell’s saving grace. Not much to report apart from it was a quick opportunistic side explore while out for a walk with the family. It was easy enough to find my way in but there was little to see on the inside. The “Government House” just down the hill is also accessible and in a better state of repair. However, with most of the windows boarded up and it is looking a bit derpy, even though I could get in I wasn’t really that bothered.

3. The Pictures

It’s all about the frontage:

50269228732_993959a436_b.jpgSoldiers 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50269140597_1958847ac3_b.jpgimg7814bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

50268389803_053d84c18a_b.jpgSoldiers 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50268389518_c1f1a3866f_b.jpgSoldiers 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50269054531_7c12579f83_b.jpgSoldiers 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50269054286_9da535327b_b.jpgSoldiers 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The outer wall is quite nice:

50269228387_0ca1b319e4_b.jpgSoldiers 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50269139092_d52bca69b4_b.jpgimg7817 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50268302623_bc9a7a401c_b.jpgimg7815 by HughieDW, on Flickr

In we go:

50269055566_fd58030a7e_b.jpgSoldiers 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50268298248_2884dc39aa_b.jpgimg7824 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50268964006_c4042c3687_b.jpgimg7823 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Inside it’s pretty far gone:

50269053556_6fed30ac1d_b.jpgSoldiers 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50269053951_7bd9ed55b9_b.jpgSoldiers 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A little bit of the original stucco work left:

50268962066_679105e8b8_b.jpgimg7827 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A few of the rather derpy house down the hill:

50269141952_a8e67f922d_b.jpgimg7810 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50269142442_7118794a37_b.jpgimg7809 by HughieDW, on Flickr

50269143022_81d4f8d16a_b.jpgimg7808 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a bonus dead boat:

50268306498_e5f5c3b998_b.jpgimg7804 by HughieDW, on Fl
 
I would like to buy a smaller house and to make it into retreat/hotel/esucation centre. Any ideas will it be for sale?
 
I would like to buy a smaller house and to make it into retreat/hotel/esucation centre. Any ideas will it be for sale?

you can trace owners by paying a few quid to land registery ,that would be your best place to start
 

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