The Grand and Daniel Baker
As next year is the 750th anniversary of Folkestone’s
mayorality, it is appropriate to reflect on some of the achievements of former
mayors, particularly as Go Folkestone has been instrumental in restoring the
Town Council, the dignity of the office and pride in the town.
Daniel Baker was mayor in 1900-01, and much of the impressive built environment
is thanks to him. Quality of construction was his watchword, and it is
remarkable that 100 years later little if any of his work suffered damage during
the earthquake on 28th April.
It is said that one of his early ventures was the Kings Head public house,
situated on the north west corner of Sandgate Road and Guildhall Street,
opposite the old Town Hall; at the time this was the epicentre of the town, and
the terminus of many coaching services for which horses were stabled at the
rear. His first major project was rebuilding it as the Queens Hotel (Victoria
was on the throne, no doubt hence the change from Kings Head), and although an
impressive pile not outstandingly successful as an hotel as it was within the
milieu of the urchins of the day. And it has to be said that his skill developed
more as a builder than as an hotel keeper or publican.
He went on to build many of the impressive mansions in the west end of the town
– mostly out of hard red brick and latterly decorated with terra cotta mullions
and other decorative features. In 1897 he built the Manor House on The Leas,
this time topped out with Westmoreland slates, as Lord Radnor’s mayoral
residence.
At this time he had hoped to get the contract for the building of The Metropole,
but having obtained the necessary consents for the owners they excused
themselves on the grounds that he was only a little local builder incapable of
managing such a huge project. But Daniel Baker was made of sterner stuff, and in
league with his lordship determined to build a rival institution next door that
was better in every way.
And so The Grand was born. Amazingly, Lord Radnor was agreeable to him building
it on The Leas, directly in front of where it now stands, and The Metropole
proprietors only avoided this by buying The Grand’s site from Lord Radnor and
giving it to Daniel Baker. But more was to come: The Metropole shut off the road
between it and The Grand, forcing Baker to build a temporary road behind the
Manor House to get to his site (which road is still there, and serves the Palm
Court). In retaliation, in conjunction with his lordship, a fence was
constructed across The Metropole’s frontage preventing its patrons from getting
onto The Leas, which was only removed when the road was reopened.
Every available technique was deployed to make The Grand the best of its sort –
it had a steel frame to give the large spans required for the elegant public
rooms, and reinforced concrete (said to be a world first on such a scale) was
used with suspended ceilings to give good soundproofing and keep vermin at bay.
Waterproof insulation filled cavity walls (possibly another world first) were
used to keep out the elements on the exposed cliff top position, and bay windows
were extensively used to make the most of the sunny southerly aspect with fine
views over The Leas and the busy Channel shipping lanes to France on clear days.
As much was spent on the furnishings as the building – wall to wall Turkey and
Persian carpets, Georgian style furniture from Maples, supplemented by French
Empire furniture from Paris and marble plumbing fixtures from Italy.
It was fit for a king. And, indeed, when the Ballroom extension was added in
1909 with the first sprung dance floor in Europe, the king took the first dance
with the queen, and the second with his intimate friend Alice Keppel. But
Baker’s high in the town he so loved was short lived – he promptly died at the
modest age of 59, and shortly later the Great War put paid to all he had known
and cared for.
His mayoral portrait hangs in The Grand; alongside has lately been added the
first to be painted in 100 years, a colourful rendition of Ann Berry, the first
mayor of the newly restored Town Council. Let’s hope this heralds a new pride in
our environment.
Michael Stainer
Article from Go Folkestone Newsletter June 2007
