Building the Laws Hotel 1836-1839

The following is an account of the building of The Laws Hotel (then called Laws House) in Turvey. It is both fascinating as a piece of Turvey history, and also as in insight into the design and construction of early 19th Century buildings.

The picture on the far right is from 1906 - click on it to enlarge.

Saturday the 5th of March 1836- a residence of a comfortable but limited kind has for a considerable time been contemplated by the writer to be built near the centre of the village of Turvey, and on the above mentioned day it was more particularly considered by the ground being marked out in the pightle of the Grove Farm house, and on the Monday following the cellar was begun to be excavated by three labourers.

Uncertain, as is the life of the writer, at a age exceeding that of all his nearest relatives, he will not anticipate to what extent he may see it accomplished, but the undertaking he commits to the great disposes of all events, with a prayer that the work may begun, proceeded in, and finished with his blessing, and that it may be an acquisition and comfort to his family, the writer devotes this, and other pages of this scrapbook, to ????? doing respecting the same, he having the good will of the present tenant of the ground who shall be made him in proportion to the quantity wanted, and this is agreed on by all parties concerned, on the day above mentioned.

●	March 12th – the first kiln on stones was laid, and the lime drawn on the 18th, supposed to be forty quarters, and 45 cwt or coals were used for it.

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March 21st, the cellar wall was begun and the arch finished on the 26th -28th. The corner foundation stone nearest the Rectory was laid by Mary, the writer’s daughter, and on April 5th, the second kiln of stone was laid, and was drawn on the 14th, on which day the foundation was finished and first stone was laid.

●	In July the joists for the chambers were laid, and the scaffold poles put up for the highest part of the building.

●	On this day, 4th August, the iron window frames for the upper floor were raised to their places.

●	On the 14th October the first timbers of the roof were put up and the foundations of the garden wall begun.

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At the close of the year the doors and windows were boarded up, the cellar floor and steps were laid, the wine bays built, and boards for the upper rooms preparing, and laid on the joists today. The plantation in the lawn about half trenched and planted with daisies and shrubs round by it. In the house, boards and linings were preparing, but alas the carpenter was not constantly at work.

●	In March the drains were laid to convey the water from the house and premises, and the wall begun at the street.

●	In the month of April the walk and gateway was built by the road and the foundation dug and laid for the barn and stable.

●	Months of May, June, July and August – stable, coach house and big barn were building and in the house, linings were preparing.

●	In September and October the plastering in the house begun, the well by the barn was dug, and the wall built round the back

yard, also the kitchen and hall floors was laid.

●	In November the remainder of the garden was planted and some more of the floors were laid.

●	At the end of the year the chambers were plastered a second time and the foundations of the out building laid.

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March 7th 1838 being two years from the first work being done the following is the state of the building. The upper room’s floors laid and the plastering finished in the chambers with the cornice and skirting in the front rooms. Stones prepared for the offices, and in the beginning of April the chimney pieces were put up in the dining room and the room above and outdoor offices begun. The garden graveled and during the month the dining room wainscoted with the same and the chimney pieces put up in that and the room above it.

●	In the Winter of 1838 and in the Spring of 1839 the window shutters were made and hung. Grates were put in all rooms, wainscots and doors painted, and during the Summer of the same year the stairs made and oak and drawing rooms papered.

●	In the summer 1840 the entrance hall and stairs were finished.