Jackdaw, Tadcaster

Built 1966 by John Smith's brewery, contemporary with the housing area it serves, the Jackdaw is a good representative of its time with the design (by brewery architect Gilbert Ingham keeping the traditional separation of public bar and lounge. The lounge has a new laminate floor and what look like the original counter and bar back of glass shelves on a latticed glazed backing (but most of the lower shelving has given way to the inevitable fridges). The walls used to be largely plastered with outcrops of rustic stonework but much more of the stone has now been exposed - the vast quantities of beermats stuck to the walls both here and elsewhere do the decor no favours. There is also fixed seating, stone pillars and a window alcove with rough timber beams top and sides. The arched doorway to the passage has lost its solid oak door. The room on the right thankfully retains its oak door and has an original-looking wooden counter with wooden shelves behind on a mirrored bar back. The back room was brought into pub use fairly recently and has no old fittings.