Brack Terrace, Wardley Hotel

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
This now lonely hotel was once the end of Ann Street – one of a number of terraces running down the hill, the inhabitants of which it served. It is an attractive structure of red brick with stone surrounds to the openings, and a quirky, decoratively detailed turret presenting a cheerful face to the road at the south west corner. The chevrons and the arc above the date plaque animate the cornice, and the traditional shallow timber fascia is supported on stout dentils. The projecting sign is also in a traditional timber style, and the external illuminating lamps finish the reassuringly subtle and appropriate approach to signage. The windows, however, have all been replaced with rather nondescript timber casements and fixed lights. The deep grey slate of the steeply pitched roof contrasts strikingly with the warmth of the rich red brick, which (along with its stone dressings) is now subtly varied in shade as a result of weathering patterns. This is both visually pleasing and expressive of age, making it a prominent remnant of more bustling and prosperous times. It is a building of quality in the tradition of public houses in the eastern part of Gateshead – where the employment of an individualistic skyward architectural feature to crown the most prominent corner is a recurring thread. MATERIALS Red Brick, sandstone, slate DATES Rebuilt 1897 (plaque) LOCAL LIST