This page is one of several pages which are based on articles in our book entitled Royal Leamington Spa, A History in 100 Buildings which was published in 2018 and is no longer in print.
Copp’s Royal Hotel earlier occupied some of the buildings on the left
In 1814 Michael Thomas Copps arrived from Cheltenham and took over the Old Greyhound Inn (latterly the Black Dog) from Thomas Sinker. In 1814 the population of Leamington Priors had risen to 1800 and there was a need for good hotel accommodation in the town.
Copps also acquired the nearby Fishers Boarding house and set about building a large hotel which extended from the eastern corner of the junction of the High Street with Clemens Street up to Court Street. In 1817 it was described as an extensive range most irregular with no uniformity. At one extremity the eastern was the Old Dog Inn still retaining its quaint old world characteristics. Over the door was inscribed Coffee Room. Next, moving west was a more recent erection with balcony and bow window towering high above the ancient inn with the word Copps over its portico and then followed what seemed to be a stretch of glorified stables, long and low pitched with skylights in the roof, small lattices and one little bow window at the end. Beyond this was a block of two houses, four or five stories high. The range of buildings extended from Clemens Street to Court Street.
On Friday 10 September 1819, the Prince Regent rode through Leamington in an open carriage accompanied by the Countess of Warwick. He was received opposite the Copps Royal Hotel by the whole population of the town.
In 1822, the Prince and Princess of Denmark stayed at the Hotel and visited Elliston’s library and the Assembly Rooms known as The Parthenon.
After ten years years of success, demand had increased so much that that, in 1827, Copps decided to have the hotel rebuilt to a design by Peter Frederick Robinson. Erected at the west end of the ancient Dog Inn, with one hundred beds and stabling for fifty horses and forty carriages, it was reputedly one of the largest hotels in Europe at the time.
In the book ‘Royal Leamington Spa – A Century’s Growth and Development’ H. G. Clarke informs us that: “The hotel front, cased in Roman cement, was of the Grecian order of architecture and 111 feet in length. It stood four storeys high and had fifty windows facing High Street, the entrance being particularly imposing as it formed a complete centre-piece from the ground to the roof, upon which was embellished the words Royal Hotel. Level with the second floor, an ornamental balcony ran the entire length of the edifice and the wings, which were slightly projected, and were adorned with handsome pilasters.
The hotel front, cased in Roman cement, was of the Grecian order of architecture and 111 feet in length. It stood four storeys high and had fifty windows facing High Street, the entrance being particularly imposing as it formed a complete centre-piece from the ground to the roof, upon which was embellished the words Royal Hotel. Level with the second floor, an ornamental balcony ran the entire length of the edifice and the wings, which were slightly projected, and were adorned with handsome pilasters. These extended to the base of the four storeys and supported an entablature which ran from end to end of the frontage.”
Meanwhile, Moncrieff’s Guide of 1829 enlightens us on some of the internal features: “The entrance hall, which is 44 ft long x 14 ft wide, is lighted by a beautiful window of coloured glass, in the centre of which, on a fawn coloured mosaic ground, are the Royal Arms, richly emblazoned and surrounded by an ornamental gold scroll on a purple ground, containing medallions representing the principal views in the vicinity; the sideboards are supported and adorned by appropriate Grecian ornaments. On the right is the public dining room, upwards of 50 ft x 24 ft, the ceiling being supported by pillars and pilasters of the ionic order. A geometrical staircase of 21 steps conducts you to the public drawing room of the same noble dimensions as the dining room; on the same floor are a number of private sitting rooms, papered with rich French paper of vivid colouring, representing subjects classical, mythological, etc. The bedrooms are fitted up with every attention to comfort and convenience. Detached are extensive lock-up coach-houses, stabling, etc.”
The Royal Hotel ‘tap’ [pub] was in Clemens Street and is listed as such from 1829 until 1841, although it quite possibly dates from the time of the Royal’s rebuild in 1827. The hotel was also one of the locations in Leamington where coaches would arrive from/depart to, various towns and cities throughout country; in 1839, the schedule lists these as being Birmingham, Cheltenham, Coventry, Derby, Oxford, Rugby, Shrewsbury and Worcester.
The first indication that the ‘Royal’ was in financial trouble was when it was advertised for sale by auction in the Leamington Courier on 13th February 1841 and, although it was still being advertised ‘for sale or let’ in December 1842, it had certainly closed by June 1841. The hotel’s effects were sold at the largest auction of its kind ever known in Leamington, beginning on Tuesday 8th June 1841 and lasting for twenty-nine weekdays; the auctioneers were Messrs White and Son, 166, Parade. In August 1841 Michael’s son, Thomas Michael Copps, announced that he had resigned from the Royal [High Street] and had opened a new hotel in Lansdowne Crescent, called the Copps’ Hotel. (see article on Victoria House)
On 13th April 1844, the Leamington Spa Courier printed the following:
“Philip Foxwell, Royal Hotel, Leamington, most respectfully begs to announce to the nobility, clergy, gentry, and public in general, that the above hotel is now opened for the reception of visitors, and solicits a share of their patronage and recommendation.”
By May of the same year he was advertising as Foxwell’s Royal Hotel. Meanwhile, on Wednesday 26th June 1844, the freehold property comprising the east wing of the Royal Hotel, together with the outbuildings, stabling and land attached, fronting to High Street was peremptorily sold pursuant to a decree of the High Court of Chancery.
Hence Philip Foxwell’s venture at the ‘Royal’ proved unsuccessful for on 9th December 1845 there was a public auction on the premises to sell-off the household furniture and other effects. This was followed on Monday 15th December by another auction, this one by direction of the mortgagees under a power of sale:
“The truly valuable and commodious leasehold hotel and premises, late in the occupation of Mr. Foxwell. This desirable property comprises the centre part of that noble building known as the Copps’ Royal Hotel, and has a frontage of 70 feet or thereabouts to High Street, with a Grecian portico entrance into a splendid hall 30 feet in length and 13 feet in width, with a handsome stone staircase, stained window, and enriched ceiling. On the right is a noble dining room, 49 feet 4 inches in length, by 24 feet in breadth, with a drawing room the same size over. Also, bar, coffee and smoke rooms, 4 sitting rooms, 17 chambers, water closets, capital cellaring, and culinary offices and pleasure gardens walled in, and fenced with iron palisades, with back entrance. Also, two shops with a warehouse over fronting Clemens Street, and two tenements and a blacksmith’s shop. The property is held under lease for the term of 99 years from Christmas 1810, subject to an annual ground rent of £33.13s.”
Philip Foxwell was declared bankrupt after only eight months at the Royal Hotel.
Copps’ Royal Hotel was eventually demolished in May 1847 to build the bridge that would facilitate the extension of the railway line to Rugby. In his account of the ‘History of Royal Leamington Spa’, George Morley wrote,
“The bridge was propelled over on Saturday 23rd September 1850; it comprised two wooden girders of 150 feet in length, 17 feet in depth, and 23 feet in width. The girders rested upon two massive piers of Derbyshire stone, of 25 feet in elevation, the buttresses being 139 feet 9 inches – a span then reportedly considered greater than any similar construction in the kingdom.”
Michael Copps died in Guernsey on 3rd August 1849, aged 70. He had successfully managed the Copps Royal Hotel for 29 years before bankruptcy. Unfortunately, his son Thomas did not survive long at his Copps Hotel in Lansdowne Crescent lasting only 7 months before also being declared bankrupt.
Michael Pearson, 2018
Acknowledgements to “ Pubs of Royal Leamington Spa”