The Royal Ascot Hotel stood more or less opposite Heatherwood
Hospital, With the War memorial
proudly standing in the Windsor Road at the then Halt sign of the cross Roads
(which in the old days was
an orthopaedic hospital) on the A329 Ascot - Bracknell Cross roads , crossed
over by the A332 Windsor-Bagshot Road. The Hotel became very run down and lacking maintenance, ending up
with very few customers
in the late fifty's it closed. I believe it was or could have been 1959 or the
early 1960's that it was demolished.
Part of the site was used for the New Heatherwood roundabout. While the remaining
land laid obsolete for approximately 20 years. Now that land has been developed
with expensive Apartments that are in my opinion, an eyesore; some face the racecourse
The public bar was the only bar that remained open, It was run by a barman
called Jock with his wife
and they had a large macaw parrot in a massive cage, in the early evening it
would walk along the bar swearing
at the customers and mimicking the drinkers with its own glass of water. some
times punters would slip whiskey
into the glass trying to get it a little drunk behind Jock's back. The parrot at
dusk was put into it's cage covered with
a black cloth to sleep the end of the bar. A favourite prank was to lift the
cover and blow cigarette smoke in the
cage, the parrot then responded by saying, "you f** Bas***d" repeatedly.
This hotel fell into decline because the large stables the rear approached
through the arch and cobbled
courtyard housed most of race horses for racing. They could easily walk
across the road straight onto the
course with the trainers & jockey's who also stayed in the hotel.
With the advent now in the sixty's of new road infrastructure, horse boxes
transport, trainers & owners could
easily come & go the same day. Mill Ride Stables off Fernbank Road became the
preferred Stables, leaving the outdated
hotel stables unused.
Footnote :
The War Memorial was moved to the other side of the road a short way along Ascot
High Street
erected outside the Ex-Servicemens Club that has now been 90 years on leased
land from Ascot racecourse,
But the club has now been told by Ascot Authority it will not be renewing the lease
as they now require the land.
It is rumoured the land is needed for an Hotel?
If this is the case I wonder if it will be called ROYAL ASCOT HOTEL
Also on the demolition of the old Hotel, two Irish contractors living on site
claimed they had been awoken
though the night of the sound of horses hoofs clip-clopping. Going out into the
court yard they saw a white
Race Horse with a headless jockey walking the horse through the arch out to the
course opposite. This was
the Royal Ascot Ghost. The contractors withdrew their labour refusing to
continue the demolition At the time
this story most of the news papers, but eventually the demolishing continued.
Many local people in the old days claim they heard the horse, also it crossing
the road, although I never have
heard or seen it. After the roundabout was built the ghost claims died. *
Royal Hotel, Ascot
Kindly provided by Colin Ager
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Ascot, Berkshire. The Ascot, Berkshire listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
The following entries are in this format:
Residents at this address
1864/J Softlaw/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1868/Joseph Softlaw/../../../Casseys Directory ***
1871/David Spooner/Proprietor of Hotel/51/London, Middlesex/Census
1871/Martha E Spooner/Wife/40/Weymouth, Dorset/Census
1871/Alice M Spooner/Daughter/16/Weymouth, Dorset/Census
1871/Amelia E Spooner/Daughter/3/London, Middlesex/Census
1871/Thomas Norris/Waiter/23/Kensington, Middlesex/Census
1871/George Ware/Ostler/23/Ascot, Berkshire/Census
1871/Charles Wheeler/Porter/17/../Census
1871/Frank Morell/Trainer/31/Derby, Derbyshire/Census
1871/Harriett Seathen/Barmaid/21/London, Middlesex/Census
1871/Esther Giles/Chambermaid/27/Winkfield, Berkshire/Census
1871/Emily Morton/Chambermaid/19/Ascot, Berkshire/Census
1871/Margaret Grey/Cook/23/London, Middlesex/Census
1871/Mary Simmons/Kitchenmaid/16/Ledford, Oxfordshire/Census
+ Visitors
1877/David Spooner/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1881/David Spooner/Hotel Proprietor/62/City of London/Census ***
1881/Martha Elizabeth Spooner/Wife/51/Weymouth, Dorset/Census
1881/Charlton Yearsley/Nephew, Manager/40/Dorchester, Dorset/Census
1881/Margaret Kettle/Servant, Housekeeper/40/Surrey/Census
1881/Louisa Radcliffe/../46/Clapham, Surrey/Census
1881/Constance L Radcliffe/../21/Lees, Lancs/Census
1881/Beatrice Radcliffe/../19/Lees, Lancs/Census
1881/Maude Radcliffe/../18/Lees, Lancs/Census
1881/Louisa Schultz/Servant, Maid/41/Berlin/Census
1881/Hekle Haussler/Servant, Maid/25/Stuttgart/Census
1881/Ann Casey/Servant, Kitchen Maid/30/Kerry/Census
1881/Emily Moreton/Servant, Housemaid/29/Ascot Heath/Census
1881/Clara Tilbury/Servant, Still Room Maid/18/Lane End, Berks/Census
1881/Elizabeth Corderoy/Servant, Housemaid/16/Sunninghill, Berks/Census
1881/Elizabeth Proudfoot/Servant, Housemaid/16/Sunninghill, Berks/Census
1881/John Webster/Servant, Waiter/18/Shropshire/Census
1881/William Rance/Servant, Boots/23/Winkfield, Berks/Census
1881/David Heading/Servant, Barman/61/Woburn, Bucks/Census
1881/Stephen Martin/Servant, Groom/25/Sussex/Census
1883/Mrs Martha Spooner/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1887/Thomas Kemsley/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1891/Thomas Kemsley/Hotel Proprietor/60/Aylesford, Kent/Census ***
1891/Maria Kemsley/Wife/58/Maldon, Surrey/Census
1891/Alice Kemsley/Daughter/20/Aylesford, Kent/Census
1891/Edward Kemsley/Son, Hotel Inspector/30/Aylesford, Kent/Census
1891/Eva Kemsley/Daughter in Law/39/London, Middlesex/Census
1891/Edmund Kemsley/Grandson/1/Ascot, Berks/Census
1891/Alice Kemsley/Granddaughter/6m/Ascot, Berks/Census
1891/Ethel Kemsley/Granddaughter/6m/Ascot, Berks/Census
1891/Mary Knowles/Servant, Housekeeper Domestic Servant/21/Farnham,
Surrey/Census
1891/Harriet Bradley/Servant, Nurse Domestic Servant/30/Windsor,
Berks/Census
1891/Ellen Hunt/Servant, Chamber Maid Domestic Servant/37/Thetford,
Norfolk/Census
1891/Emma Lambert/Servant, Under Nurse Domestic Servant/18/Windsor,
Berks/Census
1891/James Todd/Servant, Waiter Domestic Servant/55/London, Middlesex/Census
1891/Albert Washburn/Servant, Tap Boy Domestic Servant/18/Windsor,
Berks/Census
1891/Louisa Butler/Servant, Kitchen Maid Domestic Servant/22/Clewer,
Berks/Census
1891/Alice Butler/Servant, Still Room Domestic Servant/18/Clewer,
Berks/Census
1891/Benjamin Deane/Servant, Groom Domestic Servant/23/Ascot, Berks/Census
1891/Charles Biederman/Servant, Chef Domestic Servant/31/Alroce/Census
1891/Emily Shea/Servant, Scullery Maid Domestic Servant/21/Windsor,
Berks/Census
1891/Louisa Cox/Servant, Housemaid Domestic Servant/21/Enfield,
Middlesex/Census
1891/Alfred Hicks/Servant, Porter Domestic Servant/19/Sunninghill,
Berks/Census
1895/Edward Kemsley/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1899/George Browning/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1903/Miss M Y Knowles/manageress/../../Kellys Directory ***
1907/Miss E L Hirons/manageress/../../Kellys Directory ***
1911/Miss C M Barnes/manageress/../../Kellys Directory ***
1915/Miss Beswick/manageress/../../Kellys Directory ***
1920/Miss Percy/manageress/../../Kellys Directory ***
1924/W S Hodgson/manager/../../Kellys Directory ***
1928/A Harper/resident proprietor/../../Kellys Directory ***
1931/Mrs Sybil Godden/resident Proprietress/../../Kellys Directory ***
1935/C G Gilbert/manager/../../Kellys Directory ***
1939/L Ellis Adcock/../../../Kellys Directory ***
* Provided By Chris Bevan
*** Provided By Colin Ager