The Grantham Astor Story

The hotel was originally three large houses. In 1931, two of these houses were joined by building the foyer and bedrooms between them and extending backwards to form the Grantham Hotel.

This provided a large restaurant, ballroom and kitchen. The Gables (the third house) was purchased in 1978, providing more bedrooms and a games room.

This hotel has been run by the Bishop family since Anthony Bishop bought it in 1972, eventually handing it over to his sons, Michael and Phillip in November 1987. There has been a constant programme of modernisation and improvement which is still being maintained.

The family history has been traced back to the Forbes Clan at Tolhoun Castle near Aberdeen in Scotland to the year 1400 (see copper plaque at the far end of the ballroom). They are descended from the second son of the seventh laird of Tolhoun. They became farmers and eventually moved to Ireland to farm about 600 acres at Newstone, near Drogheda. Arthue Forbes of Newstone became Vicar of Drumconrath. His sons and grandson followed him, occupying this post for over 100 years. Later on, one of the lassies married Reverend George Robinson who came to England and became Vicar of Keynsham, between Bristol and Bath. One of his daughters married his curate, Reverend Charles Edward Bishop, who became Vicar of St. John's at Everton in Liverpool. He was the present proprietor's great-grandfather. His father George was a grocer in Norwich. His father, William, worked for Mr. Pickwick as licencee of the White Hart Hotel in Bath. Sir Michael Havers (ex-Solicitor-General) is understood to be a cousin. Anthony Bishop's father, Spencer, became a doctor and surgeon at Melton Mowbray. He brought his family to Newquay on holiday soon after the war and, like many, fell in love with the place and retired here. Anthony became a farmer at Zelah and later at Hendra, between Newquay and Perranporth, for 16 years. He then decided to be a hotelier and started the tradition here, of value for money, family holidays. He has now retired and lives in Perranporth. He often calls in the hotel to meet old friends - sometimes in the Forbes kilt of which he is very proud.

The oldest branch of the family is the Armitages dating back to around 1100.