This image of shows the variety of form and age of oak beams going back to, probably, the 1300's. How much of the 21st century's building materials will last 700 years? Can we continue to be so wasteful?

The Swan is built around a courtyard garden of generous size, and the hotel extends over other shops in the village street as well as occupying various other houses as owners have expanded the hotel over the years to take up most of the town block it is built around. This has enabled the provision of a garden and a private car park for guests, but also means that the building is very rambling. It is exactly the kind of building where one looks for a chatty porter to tell tales of the history of the building as he takes you to your room, not a suffer a lone long sweaty head banging struggle along uneven corridors with bags, tripods etc. from reception to a distant room.

The variation in the buildings is inevitable, with the structures made of oak beams of different sizes making for uneven floors and walls. I would be surprised if there is a single right angle anywhere in the building, and nothing appears horizontal either. However when one arrives in a bedroom it is a pleasant surprise to find a contemporary bathroom with a good shower and bathtub, and a standard queen sized double with internet access and other amenities.

Above is a typical bedroom. Rollover to see the entrance from the car park via the gardens

Latches and handles have been chosen in timber to complement the oak, and the colour of the casegoods is also a similar hue to the finish on the oak. Conservationists argue about the correct finish to be applied to the oak beams. The traditional black reflects the way wood ages, especially after centuries of open fires etc. However many conservationist believe the wood would simply have been lime washed, as the lath and plaster wall finish would have been.

The UK’s national heritage body has an office in the town, and probably had a large input to the recolouring of the ancient Wool Hall at the centre of the town. Gone is the familiar black and white mix to be replaced by a white finish which leaves this distinguished building looking like a misshapen lump of concrete in its overall white coat. It may be historically authentic, and hopefully it will weather to something more visually acceptable, but I have to say that aesthetically I think it is horrid, and I hope that it is not a precedent that would rob the town of much of its colour.

The hotel is a mix of dates and in some parts the oak is new, and has been left in a natural colour. This provides warmth to the interior, and it is to be hoped that the forthcoming bedroom refurbishment takes these areas as a cue in treating the oak. The new owners have begun the process of refurbishing the hotel, starting with the dining room. With such strong black and white patterns formed by the mix of oak and plaster internally, fabrics and other treatments have to be carefully considered. Two approaches are evident in the hotel – the choice of ‘period’ fabrics to compliment the architecture, and the choice of strong pattern and colour to set against it.

Olga Polizzi, ex-design Director for Forte who were once owners of this building, and now Design Director of Rocco Forte Hotels, holds the opinion that the interior design is only 15% of the equation for a successful hotel. Others have stated that good interior design can leverage 70% of the income for an hotel. What is certain that without getting the service right no hotel will last the way that the Swan has stood the test of time. This was illustrated in the contrast between two different teams of staff in the restaurant. One, with strong leadership delivered swift and effective service. The other, led by an indifferent maitre d’, resulted in long waits between courses. Design may set the stage but good management and leadership are still the essentials.