Pub Heritage Bulletin 280 Jul 2026

Oxfordshire, NORTH STAR, Steventon. The North Star has reopened after being shut since September last year (see March bulletin). We understand the closure was required in order to undertake essential repairs to prevent damp ingress. Following a visit, Michael Sibbald reports that no changes to the interior have occurred and the beer was very drinkable, which is good to hear! The North Star is one of only seven traditional pubs in the country without a bar counter, with the drinks served via a stable door from the ground floor cellar. The main room is recognised as one of the great village pub rooms of Britain and consists of a snug formed from high back settles centred on the fireplace, one of only a handful of such pub rooms left in the UK. It really is a marvel and well worth the visit if you haven’t already been.
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Central London East, DENMARK ARMS, East Ham. We are pleased to report that a planning application to convert the Denmark Arms, built around 1890, into a mini-casino has thankfully been rejected by Newham Council. See: Newham Voices.
Councillors refused the application due to the proposed loss of the pub, with insufficient evidence being submitted to demonstrate lack of viability. It was felt the proposals would also cause harm to the significance of this grade II listed building, whose star attraction is the magnificent first floor billiard room. The council’s view was also that the application would lead to an undesirable concentration of gambling premises in the area. The Denmark Arms closed in January 2025, as reported in the February 2025 bulletin, and was sold later that year. Hopefully the owners will now look at retaining it as a public house. Thanks to Gary Timmins for this news.
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Northern Ireland, ROCK BAR, Belfast. In last month’s bulletin we reported that the Rock Bar was closed and up for sale. We can now report that local businessman Conor Connolly snapped it up and reopened this famous pub in early July. See: Belfast Media.
The Rock Bar, which is located on the Falls Road, has five surviving timber snugs facing the servery, a characteristic feature of Northern Ireland pubs.
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Lancashire, RAMSDEN ARMS HOTEL, Blackpool. We last covered the Ramsden Arms in the December bulletin, when thankfully it re-opened without any changes to the pub interior. However, a new lease is now being advertised by owners Star Pubs with a £240,000 investment planned. The investment includes a proposed redesigned main bar and snug, in order to transform the Ramsden Arms into a modern community pub. See: Blackpool Gazette.
Star have been contacted by Paul Ainsworth of Pub Heritage Group for clarification on the planned changes and their impact on the historic interior. A reply has not yet been received. The pub, which is not listed, was built in 1939 in Brewers’ Tudor style and retains an interior of the period with a still discernible multi-room layout, despite a degree of opening up. Thanks to Andrew Haworth for this news.
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Gloucestershire, BERKELEY ARMS, Purton. The Berkeley Arms finally reopened in June, having closed in 2020 following the retirement of the licensee. It was previously included on the National Inventory at three stars for its unspoilt basic interior. Tragically the owners, the Berkeley Castle Estate, ripped out the historic fittings before Historic England could assess the pub for statutory listing (hence its current one-star rating). Initial reports now confirm that the interior has been remodelled with few if any historic fittings remaining. A re-assessment will be undertaken but it is very likely it will be removed from the inventory.
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West Yorkshire, CENTRAL STATION HOTEL, Dewsbury. The Central Railway Hotel, built in 1903, is reported as being closed since August 2025 and is now in a deteriorating condition with some broken windows. The pub contains original curved bar counter, with good quality fixed seating and glazing. The local branch are investigating. Thanks to Eddie Muraszko for reporting this.
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Other Items of interest

CAMRA’s Heritage Pub Revival Award 2026

As covered in the last bulletin nominations for the Heritage Pub Revival Award are open until 12th August – so there is still time to make a nomination.
The award is open to pubs that are included on the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors at either Three, Two or One Star.

The award recognises heritage pubs that have been revived in some way. Such revitalisation can happen in a wide variety of ways and examples could include, for instance, pubs that have:

· reopened after a protracted period of closure
· been restored to their former glory
· been shown loving care and attention to detail in refurbishment or restoration
· instigated community initiatives, festivals or events
· introduced services of benefit to the community, such as a shop or post office
· been re-energised by becoming a real ale haven.

The success criteria are not limited to what has happened to the pub’s interior. Pubs can win the award without any alteration to the fabric of the building but through the efforts of its management to enable the pub to make a positive contribution to the local community and to increase its popularity.

Eligible for the award are pubs where the benefit of the activity has been experienced in the year up to 1st August 2026 (so the actions could have taken place in the preceding year). The closing date for nominations for this year is 12th August 2026.

The link to more information and the nomination form for the Heritage Pub Revival Award can be found here: CAMRA Awards.



Humphrey Smith
Most readers will probably have already heard of the death of Humphrey Smith, the controversial owner of the Tadcaster based brewery Samuel Smith’s - who have featured in the bulletin on numerous occasions due to the significant number of heritage pubs that are owned by the brewery, many of which have been conserved and restored over the years to a high standard. But more so in recent years for the strict behavioural rules imposed on their pubs, with transgressions leading to long and seemingly inexplicable periods of closure. See: BBC.
We wait to see what impact his death will have, for good or for bad, on Samuel Smith’s pub estate going forward.