CAMRA’s Pub Heritage Group shares news and updates about pubs with historically significant interiors across the country. For further news see the Pub Heritage website here.

Three Star Heritage Pubs

Dyffryn Arms, Pontfaen, West Wales

It is with great sadness the Pub Heritage Group announces the loss of Bessie Davies, the legendary landlady of the Dyffryn Arms (pictured above), who passed away on 16 December at the age of 94. Bessie had been at the Dyffryn Arms for 74 years, taking over as landlady from her mother-in-law Mary Howells in 1972. The pub has been in the same family since 1840. A bastion of traditional hospitality, it sells one ale – Bass from the jug. For the last decade, Bessie has been assisted by her family, which will continue to run the pub. More information can be found on the Pembrokeshire Herald website here.

Vine, Pitshill, Stoke-on-Trent (above)

Landlord of the Vine, Sid Alcock, sadly passed away on 27 November at the age of 94. A small unspoilt three-room Victorian back-street local, the Vine has been closed since 2021 after Sid retired. The Pub Heritage Group understands his widow will continue to live in the premises.

Waterloo, Smethwick, West Midlands (above)

The Grade II*-listed Waterloo was built in 1907 as a flagship pub for brewer Mitchell & Butlers with a unique and spectacular tiled basement grill room. The pub has now been closed since 2011. The current owner purchased the pub in 2016 and has since let the upper floors as residential, but there has been little progress in letting the pub. Council officials have met with the owner following the serving of a tidy-up notice. The Pub Heritage Group understands the owner intends to comply with this order, but the major news is that he now has a tenant for the ground floor, though their intentions aren’t known. Pictures showing the current state of the pub’s interior can be found on the Mason Young website here.

Royal Oak Hotel, Oldham, Greater Manchester (above)

The Pub Heritage Group reported on the sudden and concerning closure of the Royal Oak in November’s bulletin. There is still no confirmation of the new owner, but the local community reported workmen filling skips and of a water leak. Planning enforcement was alerted and has been to the site, taken pictures and reminded workers of the need for listed building consent. Apparently, there has been no damage to the fabric and only rubbish has been removed plus the leak has been fixed.

Mountain Daisy, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear (above)

The Mountain Daisy has reopened again with new tenants promising karaoke four days a week and cheap drinks. The Pub Heritage Group last reported on the refurbishment and initial reopening in May 2021, with the welcome news that the spectacular tiled buffet bar was back in pub use. Worryingly, it does seem to be a challenge for owner Trust Inns to retain tenants.

Washington, Belsize Park, Greater London North West (above)

The Washington, built in 1865 and retaining many Victorian features, closed in early October for a refurbishment. The pub has now reopened, and a new seating area has been created by the relocation of the toilets, however part of the counter has been replaced with a marble slab. More information about the refurbishment can be found on Ham & High.

Two Star Heritage Pubs

Cauliflower, Iford, Greater London East (above)

The Cauliflower is Grade II-listed and dates back to around 1900. The pub has been closed since 2018 due to a fire, but building work is currently underway following a planning application granted in October 2023. The upper floors are to be converted to flats and the basement a member’s club. While the ground floor bar is retained in the proposals, it appears much of it is now earmarked for restaurant use, with a new extension to house the kitchen. There is a Restaurant Bar and Sports Bar proposed to occupy the front and right-hand areas respectively. A separate application has been lodged for residential development of the car park. This is a major redevelopment and will require reassessment once reopened.

Colonnade Bar, Brighton, East Sussex (above)

The Pub Heritage Group previously reported in December 2022 on the closure of the Colonnade Bar for refurbishment. It has now reopened with the original ornate plaster ceiling restored and a doorway that connects to the theatre foyer also reinstated. The Colonnade Bar dates back to 1894 and served as a theatre bar for the Brighton Theatre Royal. More information about the refurbishment can be found on The Argus website here.

George & Vulture, Bank, Greater London Central

This revered 18th-century London chop house is now included on the Pub Heritage inventory with Two Star status. For many years, this establishment fell outside CAMRA’s definition of a pub, as it sold no draught beer and customers were required to have a meal. Built in the early 18th century, tucked away down an alleyway, it contains many 18th and 19th-century fittings. Charles Dickens lived in the upper rooms for a time and the pub is even featured in the Pickwick Papers. It is run by Samuel Smith’s and serves a range of its keg beers. It is a must-see for any heritage pub enthusiasts visiting the City of London. There are currently no photos on the Pub Heritage website.

Ty Brith, Carno, Mid Wales (above)

The Ty Brith pub has been upgraded from One to Two Star status. This mid-19th-century Gothic style house was converted to pub use in 1959 and has barely changed since. It consists of a slatted bar counter with a Formica top and bar back shelving which serves two basically furnished small rooms. In the entrance hallway there is an off-sales hatch and an unused upstairs snooker room.

Goat Inn, Llanfihangel, Mid Wales (above)

The Goat Inn has also been upgraded from One to Two Star status. The pub is one of the last remaining examples of traditional beer houses in Wales where you can drink in a domestic-style property. The Goat has been in the same family for four generations, and the main public bar dates to the 1950s. There is one main bar room with an overspill hallway, which used to be the main bar. Previously there were two other pub rooms, but these have now been in residential use since the 1950s.

Wheatsheaf, Llanhennock, Gwent (above)

Also upgraded from One to Two Star status is the Wheatsheaf, a traditional village pub consisting of two bar rooms and an off-sales, which has been little altered in more than 50 years. The small snug bar on the left is a real 1960s period piece, with hardbacked panelled walls and a small Formica topped bar and tiled fireplace.

One Star Heritage Pubs

Plough, Ley Green, Hertfordshire (above)

Owner Admiral Taverns has applied for planning permission to convert the pub for residential use. The pub has an Asset of Community Value (ACV) in place and there is strong local opposition to the potential loss of the village pub. The community have now started a campaign to buy the pub and fight the application. CAMRA’s National Planning Policy Adviser Paul Ainsworth is assisting the group with its objection. More information can be found on the BBC News website here. The Save the Plough @ Kings Walden Facebook group can be found here.

Bell, Pensax, Worcestershire (above)

The Pub Heritage Group reported in October 2023 that the plans by the community to buy this village pub had been delayed, as it failed to secure a grant from the Community Ownership Fund. The group has now secured close to £275,000 from the fund. Plans to raise money through community shares and purchase the pub are expected this month. Find more information and keep up with the community’s campaign on the Save the Bell at Pensax website here.

Other News

Red Lion, Llandovery, West Wales (above)

The Pub Heritage Group reported in November 2023 that the long-closed time-warp pub, which was previously on the National Inventory, was due to be auctioned with a guide price of £75,000. The group can confirm that it sold for £86,000. At the time of writing, there is no news yet on the new owner or their intentions.

Rising Sun, Leeds, West Yorkshire (above)

Previously on the National Inventory, the Rising Sun has been closed since 2009. Following a five-year planning battle, proposals have finally been approved by the council to convert the upper floors to residential use, with the ground floor to become a coffee bar. More information can be found on the Business Live website here.

Last Orders! Middlesbrough’s Lost and Historic Pubs

A new book by Dr Tosh Warwick covers the historic pubs of Middlesbrough and draws extensively from the Les Bulman archive which is held by Teesside Archive. It includes reports on life in the town’s pubs between 1970 and 1990, featuring many previously unpublished photographs. Find more information and order a copy from the Heritage Unlocked website here.

If you have any news for CAMRA’s Heritage Pubs team, send to: info@pubheritage.camra.org.uk. If you wish to receive the bulletins directly, sign up by sending an email to bulletin@pubheritage.camra.org.uk with the word “subscribe” as the subject or “unsubscribe” if you wish to stop receiving bulletins.

Photos by Michael Slaughter and Michael Schouten.