Bear, Birmingham

A large brick pub built in 1937 with a stone carving of a bear and ragged staff above the corner entrance and retaining its original three-roomed layout. The delight here is the two rear small smoke rooms with good panelling and original fixed seating; however, the bar counters are modern, probably replacing hatches and/or table service in the past. The first one called the Killarney Room has a decorative carved panelled fireplace and the far one called the "G.O." as it was a gents only room in the past, and has wood panelled walls and a bar counter added in the 50/60s. The large bar at the front has original panelled walls, but the bar counter, bar-back and fixed seating have been replaced. An extension on the left added in the 1960s includes a modernised lounge / function room and a former off-sales shop which is now an insurance office. A door in Thornhill Road shows where the original off-sales was.

Update 2014: The two rear rooms are no longer in use and staff will not give you access so therefore its 'Regionally Important Historic Interior' status has been removed until the situation changes.