Felixstowe Bath Hotel
last updated May 22nd, 2022.
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Felixstowe Bath Hotel
also traded as Hamilton Hotel, Hermitage, Reynolds
South, 51.96241,1.36055
closed 1914
opened 1839
Bath Hill
grid reference TM 309 346
The hotel can be seen here on the 1903 OS map. The pub immediately to the south of the hotel was probably the Bath Hotel Tap.
The Bath Hotel was built in 1839 for John Cobbold and originally called the Hamilton Hotel.
It has also been referred to as the Hamilton Arms, which was renamed to the Bath Hotel in the 1860s. It may also have been at one time the Hamilton Temperance Hotel (a time at which it won't have been of great interest to visitors to this site).
The hotel burned down on April 28th, 1914 after incendiary devices were planted by militant Suffragettes. Hilda Birkett and Florence Tunks set fire to the hotel as part of their "Votes for Women" campaign. The hotel was empty at the time, but was completely gutted. Crowds gathered for their trial at Bury Assizes on 29th May, where they both received prison sentences.
Interestingly, at the time of the fire, it was operated by Cobbold's but owned by Tollemache.
The 1904 Woodbridge licensing records show that the Bath's license was issued in 1853. Whether this was when it was first licensed or when it got a full (ie not just beer) license isn't clear, though the latter seems more probable.
In 1865 they advertised warm and sea salt baths and billiards. The hotel was also listed at Beach Road East (in 1912).
Gallery
Fludyers Hotel 0.22 mile
Grosvenor 0.32 mile
White Seahorse 0.43 mile
Cork 0.43 mile
Little Wine Bar 0.44 mile
One 29 0.44 mileHistorical interest
The Bath Hotel, Felixstowe: Built in 1839 by John Chevallier Cobbold as the Hamilton Arms. Bricks used in the construction came from a Martello tower, which stood close by, and furniture came from across the Orwell, from the White Hart in Harwich. There is a reference to the "Tap" as being a detached wooden building on the beach run by a Mr & Mrs Gee in Sep 1854. Inns of the Suffolk Coast, Leonard P Thompson, 1969
H.S. DOWNING has taken the Bath Hotel, Felixstowe & also thanks the public for his 16 years at the King's Head Hotel, Stowmarket and the 25 years of support, he has received as a valuer & auctioneer…
Landlords
(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)
(some old PO directory information courtesy of londonpublichouse.com)
(** historic newspaper information from Stuart Ansell)
(*** historic newspaper information from Bob Mitchell)
