Pub Heritage Bulletin 273 Dec 2025

Mid-Wales, CROWN & ANCHOR, Llanidloes. We can report that the Crown & Anchor, which has been closed since October 2022, was sold in October and it is hoped that it may reopen by Christmas. The very good news is that the new owners want to continue to run it as a traditional pub with no drastic changes planned. The Crown & Anchor dates back to the 17th Century and is a fine example of an unspoilt traditional town pub which retains a multi-room layout. Prior to the sale it had been in the same family ownership for over 100 years and is known affectionately as Ruby’s, after landlady Ruby Holmes who ran the pub for 50 years from 1965 until she retired in 2018.
We last covered this story in December 2024 when the community group, the Crown & Anchor Community Benefit Society, launched a share offer in order to purchase the pub. However, the share offer was suspended after a likely buyer began negotiations with the owner. This potential purchase came to nothing, and the community group were in the process of relaunching the share offer when the new owners bought the pub. Happily, they have the full support of the community group in their venture. Thanks to Simon Davies and Neil Fitzpatrick-Reeves for keeping us up to date with developments.
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Northumberland, STAR, Netherton. Our October Bulletin reported that the local parish council (Netherton & Biddlestone) would be formally considering the possibility of making an ACV (Asset of Community Value) application for the Star, a course of action suggested to them by ourselves. The decision made at their early November meeting, however, has been to disappointingly decline this opportunity. So CAMRA, having worked hard to secure the pub’s statutory listing, is now considering the next steps needed to help safeguard this rare national treasure. We would be delighted to hear from anyone in the country who might be interested in rallying to the cause of giving the Star a future as a pub, or may have good contacts in the local area who may be so inclined.
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Staffordshire, BULLS HEAD, Telford. The Bulls Head reopened on the 31st October having closed in the summer. Owners Iglenook Inns have undertaken a refurbishment which we understand has mainly been to the previously-modernised rooms of the pub. The pub, which is grade II listed, was built in 1838 and is included on the inventory at Three Star, primarily for the front bar with its spectacular floor to ceiling tiling which was installed around 1904 and manufactured by Maw & Co of Ironbridge. The Bulls Head has had a chequered recent past, having been closed on and off with a succession of licensees. Inglenook Inns bought the pub in 2021 and let’s hope that the reopening heralds a new era of stability.
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Somerset, LAMB & FOUNTAIN, Frome. The Lamb & Fountain, known as ‘Mother’s’ after long serving landlady Freda Searle who died in 2021. Her daughter Sue had continued to run the pub but it is now for sale with Rogers & Co with an asking price of £650,000. See: Rogers & Co . The sale comes with the stipulation that ‘it is not for the faint of heart and not to be used as a tourist attraction’ - hopefully that means that only a buyer sympathetic to its unique character will be considered. It’s a wonderfully old-fashioned locals pub that has operated at least since 1753, with the building itself dating back to the 16th Century. It has a multi-room interior with a surviving Victorian bar and has remained unchanged since the 1960s. As well as the pub it also has a large barn to the side which used to be a brewhouse and maltings. Thanks to Hugh Steele for this news.
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Greater London East, CAULIFLOWER, Ilford. The Cauliflower, a large and imposing gin palace built in 1900 at the height of the pub building boom, reopened on the 7th November having been rebranded ‘553 London’. It closed in 2018 following a fire and has reopened as a high-end halal mediterranean restaurant on the ground floor with a lounge and bar on the first floor. Whilst the surviving Victorian features (covered in detail in its grade II listing description) including the large servery, ornate stillion and publican’s office have been retained, the contemporary refurbishment has led to the character of the Cauliflower being fundamentally altered, and we are assuming that casual drinking without food will be restricted to the first-floor bar only. See: Ilford Recorder . Thanks to Mick Slaughter for this update.
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Lancashire, RAMSDEN ARMS, Blackpool. We covered the closure and planned refurbishment of the Ramsden Arms by Star Pubs & Bars in the August bulletin. We can now report the good news that it reopened on the 24th November with reportedly no changes to the interior having taken place. The Ramsden Arms was built in 1939 for the Halifax brewers Ramsden’s in ‘Brewer’s Tudor’ style. Thanks to Rick Pickup for this news.
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Nottinghamshire, PLOUGH INN, Nottingham. The Plough Inn, which was built in 1920, and until last month operated as the Nottingham Brewery tap, has been included on the inventory at One Star. It retains a two-room layout with a central servery and, of particular note, is the surviving glazed screen for the off sales, terrazzo flooring, fixed seating and original fenestration. The bar fittings are modern. Sadly, the Plough closed on the 22 October with its future uncertain. It is not statutorily listed but is registered as an Asset of Community Value. Any further updates welcome.
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Fife, HARBOUR BAR, Kirkcaldy. The Harbour Bar closed in July this year as owner John Stanley is focussing on developing the micro-brewery on site. We understand that it will still open for music events but the pub is unlikely to reopen on a regular basis until 2027. See: Fife Today . The Harbour Bar became a pub in 1924 and is one of the few pubs now left with a surviving separate jug bar- a tiny off-sales with two hatches to the bar. Thanks to Mick Slaughter for this news.
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West Yorkshire, HIGHLAND LADDIE, Leeds. Congratulations to the Highland Laddie which has claimed the number one spot in the Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Pubs in Britain. Quite an achievement considering that it only reopened in April this year. The pub is run by Sam Pullen and Nicole Deighton and offers high quality food while maintaining a traditional pub atmosphere. See: BBC .
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West Wales, OLD POINT HOUSE, Angle. The Old Point Inn, an early 18th Century pub located on a headland between East Angle Bay and Milford Haven, closed at the beginning of November. It is not due to reopen until summer 2026 with the owners looking for new tenants. See: Western Telegraph . It has a tiny unspoilt snug with two old settles which, until the 1980s, was the only pub room.
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Greater London North, HANBURY, Islington. The Hanbury was rebuilt in 1937 by Charrington’s Brewery and despite being opened up retains some inter-war features such as bar counters and fielded panelling. However, due to the illuminated bar backs (its most striking feature) having been dissected and moved the Hanbury (previously One Star) has been removed from the inventory.