Formerly the Metropole Hotel, now converted into 19, 1- and 2-bedroom flats and commercial use on the ground floor. Was originally constructed in the 1890’s after Cannon Street was widened in 1893. Large and imposing building which retains many of its original features on the first, second and third floors. Ground floor is heavily inserted and separated into three commercial premises, including a bar, sandwich shop and nail bar. The former central access to the hotel is still visible in the arched window with keystone in the central bay (southern half of the sandwich shop). The first, second and third floors are separated into five bays, the central bay is slightly advanced from the others and has a decorative Palladian window with pilasters on the surrounds at the first-floor level. There are two windows within this central bay on the second and third floors, all other bays have three windows each. The central windows on the outermost two bays at the first-floor level are taller (near floor to ceiling) and have small decorative cast iron balconettes over them and with a M and H for the Metropole Hotel. On the second floor the taller window and balconette is present on the central part of all four of the outer bays. All of the windows on the first and second floor have segmental arches over with a central stone keystone. The third-floor windows have flat gauged brick arches, again with the central stone keystone. There are alternate courses of stone (sandstone?) and brick across the façade of the first to third floors, these are equally spaced, apart from in the area between the floors where there is a slightly larger gap between the stone courses. There is a highly decorative carved stone cornice above the fourth floor with stone brackets beneath the eaves. At the roof level over the central bay, there is a large decorative pediment in brick with stone coping. The alternate courses of brick and stone continue within this pediment and there is a small circular window placed centrally within it with an elaborately carved stone surround. The building is very large and extends to the south west behind many of the other buildings which front onto Cannon Street. Access to the flats on the upper floors is via a door on New Street, this part of the building which fronts onto New street is in a much less elaborate style, and is separated into two parts. It has a number of modern features on and attached to the façade including vents, wiring and lights. It is in a brown coloured brick and the ground floor is rendered and painted cream. This north eastern part of the area fronting New street has four floors, with two doors on the ground floor including the door to the flats on the upper floor which is located immediately abutting the north eastern party wall. This is a large timber door with a decorative triangular pediment over, pilasters on either side and a semi-circular fanlight above the transom over the door. To the south west of this door is another modern double door painted white. There are two windows per floor on the first, second and third floors. On the northern wall at first floor level there is the remnants of a former sign advertising the Metropole Bar. The south western part of the building fronting onto New Street is separated from the northern by a large gutter down pipe painted black, it is smaller - only two storeys high and is rendered up to half first-floor height. There is a large recessed area, indicating the location od a former opening on the ground floor immediately abutting the south western party wall. This contains three modern doors, two of which are double. There are two windows at the first-floor level, one is located centrally over the ground floor opening and the other is located at the north eastern end. There are also two dormer windows at the roof level. There is some vegetation grown across both the New Street and Cannon Street Facades and some slight staining and weathering to the brickwork and stone detailing, but nothing major. Overall the building appears to be structurally sound and is in a good condition.

The ground floor is modern and retains none of the original openings. There is a hint of the former central doorway to the hotel within the central bay, where there is an arched window with a keystone (now painted) within the central commercial premises. The windows on the upper floors are all in very good condition and look to be later, though in-keeping, replacements. All are timber framed sashes painted white and are generally two panes wide, apart from the central Palladian window on the first floor which is three panes wide in the central portion and a single pane on the two outer portions. The windows vary in height, the majority are four panes high (two in the lower part of the sash and two in the upper), but those with the associated iron balconies are five (three in the lower and two in the upper). The third-floor windows are not as tall, they still have the four panes, but the panes are not as large. The small circular window within the pediment at roof level is divided horizontally into two panes. The openings on the New Street façade are a mix of original and modern. The large door giving access to the flats above has a decorative pediment above, and pilasters on either side, with a semi-circular fanlight above the transom over the door. There is a modern double door opening to the west of this and a further three, set within a slight recess, at the far south western end of the New Street façade. The windows on the New Street Façade are all timber sashes. In the north eastern section of the building, the sash windows are divided into four panes by timber glazing bars on the first and second floors while the third-floor windows consist of two large panes and are possibly later. On the south western part, the northern window consists of two large panes while the southern is divided into 12 small panes by timber glazing bars (six in each part of the sash). The Dormer windows are flat roofed with metallic surrounds, the frames are in timber sashes, again spilt into 12 panes by timber glazing bars. The windows on both the New and Cannon Street facades are all in good condition.

The roof of the main Cannon Street part of the building was not clearly seen but it is in slate and is an interesting tent roof style with a steep pitch. The roof of the parts of the building fronting New Street are of two different types, both look to be in slate but the northern part is hipped while the southern is mansard. (1)

<1> Kent County Council, 2019, Historic building condition asseesment and photographic survey of Dover Town Centre (Unpublished document). SKE52120.