Listed Building record MDR23260 - Charles Cotton Hotel (Public House), Market Place, Hartington Town Quarter

Charles Cotton Hotel (public house), Market Place, Hartington Town Quarter, possibly an 18th century building. 'A building is shown at this location on a survey plan of 1614. It is likely that this building was a farmhouse and that some fabric of this building survives in the current building. Documentary evidence suggests that the building began use as an inn at some point in the 18th century. An enclosure map of 1805 shows an inn on the site. Documents indicate that in the 1820s the inn was known as the 'Bull's Head'. In 1846 the Bull's Head was run by a Francis Clarke. In the 1851 census the inn was occupied by a Mary Clarke, widow of Francis, who is recorded as an 'innkeeper and farmer of 60 acres'. The census also records that a maid, an ostler and two farm labourers also lived in the inn, which supports the evidence for the diverse use of the site at the time. In 1861 the inn was known as the 'Sleigh Arms' which may reflect that the inn was by then owned by the Sleigh family, an important family in the area since medieval times, and that the by now elderly Mary had become a tenant. Mary, who occupied the inn together with her daughter, Maria, her son, Francis, two maids and a carter is recorded as 'innkeeper and farmer of 60 acres'. In 1871 Francis was running the inn, and he is recorded as a 'hotel keeper and farmer of 75 acres'. Francis employed two farm labourers, a dairy maid, a domestic servant, an ostler and a farm worker. By 1881 the inn had acquired the name of 'Charles Cotton Hotel'. At that time it was occupied by Mary Wardle, who is identified as 'a farmer of 80 acres'. Mary's son, John, is identified as 'keeper of the hotel'. They employed a cook, a chamber maid and four farm labourers. In 1891 the inn was occupied by Harold Oliver, who was described as 'hotel keeper and brewer's agent', and who occupied the inn together with his sister, who acted as housekeeper, 2 domestic servants and 2 farm labourers. By 1911 the inn was occupied by William Sutton, although he is described as 'innkeeper and farmer', he only employed a kitchen maid and two waitresses, and no farm labourers. This suggests that by 1911 the building was no longer the centre of a large farm. The maps of the area to the rear of the inn also suggest that the agricultural buildings were reorganised at the turn of the century which indicate that the inn was no longer the centre of a sizable farm by that time.' (1) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 12 60 PARISH OF HARTINGTON TOWN QUARTER MARKET PLACE 12/131 (West Side) 10.8.1951 Charles Cotton Hotel GV II Hotel. Late C18 and late C19. Coursed, squared limestone and gritstone. Gritstone dressings and quoins. Plain tile roof. Stone gable end and ridge stacks with plain bands. Stone coped gable with plain kneeler to north gable. Plain eaves band. Three storeys and two storeys. T-plan. Seven bays. Late C18 section to north with central door covered by C20 stone porch. To either side, plain sashes in flush surrounds. Three similar sashes over. Three further, shallower, sashes to eaves. To south, C19 two storey addition. Narrow single bay adjoining C18 part and three bay cross wing with central door, mullion and transom windows to either side. Three windows above and coat of arms in gable. Listing NGR: SK1276060384.' (2)