Pub Heritage Bulletin 263 Jan 2025

Devon, DREWE ARMS, Drewsteignton. CAMRA's national Pub Saving Award is long-established, recognising those who have come together to save pubs threatened with closure. This year, a new Heritage category has been introduced, to celebrate the saving or revitalisation of pubs on our National Inventory. The first winner is the Drewsteignton Community Society from Devon. When the village pub, the renowned Drewe Arms, closed in 2022, the Society managed to raise £550k in just six weeks to buy it for the community. The Drewe reopened last March and is once again the fulcrum of village life. A major kitchen refurbishment is currently under way and they hope to be serving food from the end of March. Future plans include development of on-site accommodation.
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Gloucestershire & Bristol, KINGS HEAD, Bristol. Runner up is another Three Star pub, the Kings Head, Bristol. Shut since Covid, it was bought and sensitively restored by the local Good Chemistry brewery - the delightful Victorian interior now positively sparkles.
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Greater Manchester, BRITONS PROTECTION, Manchester. Following licensees Alan Hudd and Mark West’s legal success in their battle to avoid the termination of their lease by owners Heineken Star Pubs & Bars (as covered in the October bulletin) it was a shock to hear that Alan and Mark decided to quit the Britons Protection in early January; the reasons being the costs involved in taking the legal action combined with a quiet trading period over Christmas, leaving Star Pubs and Bars to run the pub after all! Reports are that a much-needed spruce up has taken place and “as feared” the range of both whiskies and local cask ale has been reduced.
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Staffordshire, VINE, Pittshill, Stoke-on-Trent. We reported in October that the Vine, a rare surviving example of a Victorian back street local, was up for sale by auction following the death of landlord Sid Alcock. We understand that new owners intend to reopen it as a pub. Thanks to David Lycett for this very welcome update. More to follow.
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Staffordshire, DUKE WILLIAM, Stoke-on-Trent. The freehold of the Duke William is now for sale by auction with a guide price of £180,000. The auction is due to take place on the 3rd March. See: Commercial Property Place.
We reported on the worrying turnover of licensees in the September bulletin and understand that the latest licensee, who took over in October, has now left and the pub is closed. Let’s hope that a new owner can make a go of it. Thanks to Hugh Young for this news.
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Lancashire, BLACK HORSE, Preston. Congratulations to all at the Black Horse for being awarded Central Lancashire CAMRA’s branch pub of the year for an unprecedented third year in a row. A truly impressive pub from the great era of Victorian pub building it includes one of only 14 surviving ceramic bar counters in the country. The Black Horse was awarded the Lancashire Branches Pub of the Year 2024 and made it to the final four in CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition losing out to the Bailey Head, Oswestry, as announced earlier this month.
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Herefordshire, OLDE TAVERN, Kington. Congratulations also to the Olde Tavern which has been awarded Herefordshire CAMRA’s Pub of the Year. This Victorian town pub was owned by the Jones family from 1884 until 2002. Despite subsequent alterations to two of the rooms, the Public Bar remains practically unchanged since the late 19th Century. See: Powys County Times.
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East Sussex, NEW INN, Hadlow Down. Following a recent visit Mick Slaughter reports the sad news that landlord Graham Cook passed away in May last year aged 80. However, the pub remains open as his widow has allowed a local with a personal licence to take over running of the pub with a band of regulars putting in shifts behind the bar. The New Inn was re-built in 1885 as a hotel and retains a basic but intact Victorian interior.
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Northern Ireland, CENTRAL BAR, Irvinestown. We understand the Central Bar is closed and has been for a number of months. The modest exterior of the Central Bar hides an impressive Victorian interior which dates from a refit in 1895 consisting of a public bar with a 25 ft continuous counter and splendid bar back with four mighty spirit barrels. It has been in the Reihill family since 1924. Thanks to Martin Shallcross for alerting us - Any further updates on the situation would be welcome.
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West Yorkshire, NEW BEEHIVE, Bradford. We last reported on the decision by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council to approve change of use in April 2024. At that time Paul Ainsworth wrote to the authority requesting that they review and revoke the decision which we believed had been improperly made. Nine months later, Paul finally received a disappointing but not unexpected response stating that, in their view, the decision was lawful and the Council would not reconsider their decision. The reasons they gave for reaching this conclusion were not at all convincing; the only method of further challenge, though, is a judicial review, but the expense of this course of action and the fact that the conversion has now taken place and the pub lost, means any victory would be a pyrrhic one so we won't be pursuing this. A sad day for Bradford as it loses its sole remaining Three Star National Inventory pub. And, as it celebrates 2025 as the UK City of Culture, takes the crown as the stand-out basket case for pub heritage protection in the North!!
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North Yorkshire, WELLINGTON, York. The Wellington, owned by Samuel Smith’s Brewery, closed suddenly in November with popular landlady Sue Frost being given a mere 12 hours notice to quit. For those of you who are aware of Samuel Smith’s management style this is a sadly familiar story. The local community are outraged by the decision and have started a petition to reinstate Sue with the support of local councillor Conrad Whitcroft. See: York Press (petition link in article).
Those of you interested in finding out more about the brewery under the leadership of chairman Humphrey Smith should read journalist Mark Blacklock’s excellent in-depth article on the brewery and its rather eccentric practices: Guardian.
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East Sussex, KING’S ARMS, Eastbourne. Richard Scullion of South East Sussex CAMRA reports that a planning application for change of use has been submitted for this pub which closed in August 2023. The plans are to develop three flats on the ground floor - the upper floors having already been turned into flats. The Kings Arms was built in 1900 in an opulent style typical of the period and retains many decorative features from the time. The branch has lodged an objection.
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Mid-Wales, SLATERS ARMS, Corris. The Slaters Arms has been removed from the inventory following a refurbishment in 2022 which resulted in the complete gutting of the interior.



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Tom Chapman