St Moritz Hotel
1930 - The Underwoods
The original private residence was commissioned and built in 1930 by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Underwood. (Note from the editor…does anyone know what the original house was called before Richard re-named it St Moritz?)
1939
During World War II, the house began to home evaccuees.
1943
In the late summer of 1943 it became a home for about 25 school-aged children, evacuated from Aldersbrook in East London Following the war, Richard Underwood trained as a chef in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Upon his return, he converted the house into to a hotel, the St Moritz Hotel.
1946
In 1946 the St. Moritz Hotel was opened. The Underwoods ran the hotel and restaurant very successfully for 32 years. In the 1960s, they solved the shortage of bedroom capacity by employing large local houses to provide overflow sleeping arrangements for some St. Moritz guests who were happy to sleep off-site but eat in the hotel. Brian’s parents, the Oatens, did just that, and you can read about that on The Haven page in the HOUSES chapter.
Mr and Mrs Graham Leach …Underwoods Sold to Leach…date TBC to …
More info to follow
1978 - The Rushworths
The Leach family sold the hotel to Dorothy and her son Stephen Rushworth in 1978, while St. Moritz Court was sold separately to the Bedwell family. The Rushworths successfully managed the hotel until 2004, adding several extensions and the popular circular function/ball room.
2004 - The Ridgeways
In 2004, Steve and Hugh Ridgway purchased the property. Following a multi-million-pound redevelopment, it reopened in 2008 with its current Art Deco-inspired design. As we look forward, 2030 will mark 100 years since the residence’s original construction.
If you can add or correct any of our memories and dates we would love to hear from you. eg. does anyone know the name of the Underwoods house that they built in 1930 before it became St Moritz?
PHOTOS
1950s
1960s
St Moritz Court
1980s
Daymer Bay Hotel - Opened 1946
waiting for photos
- Built originally as No 1 and No 2 The Terrace, both bought by Harry Hardcastle’s parents and joined together to convert into a hotel.
- Now semi detached houses again, Bar’s House and Honeybourne.
The Fore Dore era
The Fore Dore Hotel and Garage - opened 1950
The history of the Fore Dore site in Higher Trebetherick spans several distinct operational phases, evolving from a hotel with an attached garage to a care home, and finally to a modern apartment development.
🏨 Fore Dore Hotel & Garage - Era : 1950s–1980s
The property operated as a popular local hotel. Historical records from Kresen Kernow (Cornwall Archives) feature photography of the hotel bedrooms dating back to at least September 1956. 1980s: The hotel and its adjacent garage, which serviced local and tourist vehicles, remained open through this decade.
🛏️ Fore Dore Nursing and Residential Home - Era : 1980s
The hotel building was officially converted into a specialized care facility, operating as the Fore Dore Nursing Home. Local obituaries record residents staying at the home from the mid-1990s onward. 2005: The corporate entity, Fore Dore Nursing Home Limited, was formally registered. 2014: The care home officially closed.
🏗️ Redevelopment renamed Trebetherick Gardens : 2017–2019
Initial demolition and redevelopment. The former nursing home and garage buildings were demolished. The site was transformed by Sprout Developments into Trebetherick Gardens, a luxury residential complex featuring 12 apartments.