Since the publication of this article, the deadline for the Pub Design Awards has been moved to 3 December.

CAMRA is back on the hunt for the UK’s finest examples of pub architecture, conservation and refurbishment.

Held in conjunction with Historic England, CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards champion the highest standards of design in the refurbishment and conservation of existing sites, as well as newly built and converted pubs.  

There are five categories and pubs can be entered into more than one: 

New Build: evaluates newly built pubs, where the owners have used imagination and flair to create a new, visually impressive venue, while recognising the traditional qualities of pub hospitality.

Conversion to Pub Use: rewards outstanding conversions of buildings which were originally built for other uses and have now been transformed into a pub. The judges look for conversions which successfully create the pub ambience in a building not designed as one, but also those which bring out the character of the site that has been converted.

Historic England Conservation: celebrates work which conserves a pub’s architectural features, enhances the viability of a historic building, while restoring and updating the original facilities to give it a viable future.

Refurbishment: awarded to the best renovation of an existing pub. This can range from a complete gutting and replacement, to enhancing the design of what was originally in the pub. As with the other awards, the judges are looking for originality and imagination in the way the building is treated. 

Community Local: reserved for outstanding refurbished street-corner locals. 

Historic England’s Andrew Davison, chair of CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards, said: “The UK is full of visually stunning pubs, from grand Victorian gin palaces to warm homely street-corner locals, all are beautiful in their own way and deserve to be celebrated.

“Every year, the judges are blown away by the submissions for the Pub Design Awards and I cannot wait to see what is in store for us this time round.

“It is always heartening to witness the sheer effort people will go to protect, refurbish and repair pubs, whether it be bringing back to life a long-lost historical gem, or a local community coming together to refurbish their much-loved pub. It is initiatives like these the keep pubs alive for future generations to enjoy.

“The flair and originality shown in contemporary venues and innovative conversions is of equal value, and a real testament to the determination and workmanship it requires to design a pub from the ground up.”

The awards are open to all UK pubs, and anyone can nominate. Entrants may be asked to provide additional photographs and plans of the building so the licensee should be aware of and approve the entry.  

To enter work will need to have been completed between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024. 

The competition is free to enter and closes on 17 November. Once submissions have closed, judges will visit and assess the nominated pubs throughout the year, with judging set to be completed by mid-April 2025. An awards ceremony at one of the winning pubs will be staged in June 2025.

To enter and see examples of previous winners visit: https://camra.org.uk/awards/pub-design?selected_year=2024

Pictured: Historic England Award for Conservation 2024 winner the Vines, Liverpool