The County Hotel, Newcastle

The County Hotel (Thistle) in Newcastle is located on Neville Street (no. 32), directly opposite Newcastle Central Station, extending onto Grainger Street (nos 1-7) and Westgate Road (no. 51). It was originally built in 1874 as a hotel and shops, with later extensions in the 1890s. The Grainger Street Italianate-style frontage of 1874 was by John Johnstone, and the Neville Street mild-Baroque style frontage of 1897 was by H.M. Graham. The building is Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England. When it was built, Newcastle was the county town of Northumberland.

"In 1890 it was announced that the County Hotel was to be enlarged. The lessee, Robert Brown, had purchased land to the west occupied by Lockhart's Cocoa Rooms. Here he built two shops at street level, a coffee room above and 40 bedrooms on 4 floors above that. The existing front of the County was demolished and a new frontage built further forward - the 135 feet façade that survives today. James Deuchar bought the County in 1920." (Sitelines)

The County Hotel became part of the Thistle Hotels Ltd portfolio, which was established in 1965 by Scottish & Newcastle. The hotel chain was acquired by Mount Charlotte Investments in 1989 and later rebranded as Thistle.