Runnymede, George Town

Named after the historic field where King John formalized the Magna Carta, Runnymede comprises a group of buildings situated along George Town’s seafront in Penang. The site gained prominence due to its association with Sir Stamford Raffles, renowned for later founding Singapore, who resided here during his tenure in Penang. In March 1805, Raffles, then serving as an assistant secretary to the new Governor of Penang, married a widow he had met while she was petitioning for a pension from her deceased husband.

Historical records indicate that the original Runnymede was a brick bungalow constructed by Raffles in 1808. It served as the Raffleses' residence until 1810 when it was sold to the British East India Company (EIC) for $4,800 Spanish dollars. Subsequently, the EIC designated it as the lodging for visiting navy captains, until a fire engulfed the building in 1901, leading to its destruction. Following the fire, the surrounding structures were purchased and transformed into a hotel, offering competition to the nearby Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

The main three-story seafront edifice was erected in the 1930s, featuring a grand ballroom on the ground floor and guestrooms on the upper floors. During its heyday in 1935, the Runnymede Hotel hosted weekly cocktail dances and dinner dances, boasting amenities such as a post office, telegraph office, hairdresser, bookstall, reading room, billiard room, railway ticketing office, and a fleet of chauffeured motorcars. During the Second World War, however, the building served as part of a naval and military base.