Great Western Hotel - Commemoration
On the 30th August 2024, A new plaque was unveiled for the Great Western Hotel commemorating it as Newquay's first hotel and honouring Silvanus Trevail, the Cornish architect who originally designed the hotel in 1877. Trevail, who also became Newquay’s town surveyor, played a key role in the town’s development, later designing landmark buildings such as the Atlantic and Headland Hotels. The unveiling of the plaque on marks the hotel's opening on the 7th April 1879 and serves as a lasting tribute to the hotels significance and Trevail’s impact on Newquay’s historic heritage as a popular seaside destination.
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A message from St Austell Brewery, owners of the Great Western Hotel:
Championing our heritage: A huge well done to Will Emmett for his work celebrating the Great Western Hotel's history. Will Emmett, a team member at the Great Western Hotel in Newquay, has been the driving force behind the installation of a new blue plaque - celebrating our site's history, as Newquay's first hotel. Will's passion for local history and the story of the Great Western Hotel is clear for all to see. He helped organise the Great Western's 145th birthday celebrations earlier this year, the exhibit in the reception area of the hotel, and even has plans to write a book!
Emily Proffitt, General Manager, said: 'I'm really proud of Will, he's done all this extra work, he knows every inch of this hotel better than me and I've been here 20 years! I know how big Will's passion is for the hotel, so it's great to see his hard work being rewarded here. Everyone loves Will and is proud to see the blue plaque go up and recognising of all his efforts. Well done, Will!' Will added: 'I'm very pleased to have unveiled this very special blue plaque, recognising the work of the famous architect Silvanus Trevail who will have known Walter Hicks, and obviously celebrating 145 years of Newquay's oldest hotel. "I wanted there to be a permanent reminder on the hotel's history. It has seen many transformations, which we really enjoyed celebrating at the 145th birthday event earlier this year, where former staff and management returned to share their stories.'
Paul Holden, our Archivist, recently posted his article on the history of the Great Western on Thrive. You can find it attached to this post and via search. When speaking about the blue plaque, Paul said: 'Honestly, Will deserves a medal. What he does for the hotel and the wider history of Newquay is astonishing. The blue plaque will be a much-deserved recognition for this highly significant building.'
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Posted: 13 September 2024
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