A splendid Victorian gem built in 1847, making it Bournemouth's oldest pub. It retains many original features and is rich in mahogany and stained glass. Just a short stroll from Bournemouth rail/coach/bus interchange, and also close to the Vitality Stadium. It is popular with supporters from both home and away teams. Lunches are available at weekends only including roasts. Tuesday is quiz night, pool, darts and other in-house games give this pub an excellent vibe.
Historic Interest
Victorian Features
Two star - A pub interior of very special national historic interest
Listed status: Not listed
The etching on the windows reveals the layout when this fine pub was rebuilt in Edwardian times. The smoking room, public bar and bottle and jug have since been combined but the private bar at the back remains. The smoking room area, now used for pool, has a decorative door panel, excellent tiling and a striking fireplace. A vestibule with deep-cut ‘public bar’ panels leads into that former room; notable features include two cast-iron columns with spiral decorations, the old curved bar counter and mirrored bar-backs and benches which came from a local church. The former private bar also has a splendid curved counter and bar-back plus some decorative partitioning. A wide doorway takes you to a baronial-style lounge, originally the billiard room, with an ornamental fireplace and a high mantel shelf. The gents’ are well worth a visit for their massive urinals, mosaic tiling and colourful windows.
Rebuilt and refitted in Edwardian times it has been sympathetically altered/refurbished over the years. The Glass family owned the pub for many years until sold to Whitbread, then Ushers. The etched glass exterior windows show the original layout of smoking room, public bar, bottle & jug and private bar but the first three are now combined. The Smoking Room on the far right has a colourful stained and leaded panel in the door at the rear, a lovely green tiled with some patterned tiles, cast-iron and wood surround fireplace and is now a pool room.
Good vestibule corner entrance retains 3 of originally 4 'public bar' deep cut Edwardian panels in door with colourful stained and leaded panels above. More 'public bar' deep etched exterior windows. Just inside the bar entrance are two cast-iron columns with spiral decoration. It retains its original curved bar counter, original mirrored bar backs with a set of drawers on the right and on the left another bar back in Edwardian style added in the early 1970s which replaced a fireplace situated behind the bar! The good benches in the front rooms/areas are from a local church. The 'Bottle & Jug' exterior window panel remains.
The partition between the public and private bars has a fine 'public bar' colourful stained and leaded panel and other colourful panels. The rear main bar has lots of 'Private Bar' etched windows (some are good replacements), a fine curved bar counter with decorative brackets, original top, good original curved at the front bar back fitting with a set of drawers and on the right another bar back in Edwardian style added in the early 1970s. Note the small mirror fronted cupboards at the top of both original bar back fittings. On the 1976 bar back fittings fridges have replaces lower shelves. There is another fine stained and leaded partition alongside the private bar back fitting with a 'Private' colourful stained and leaded panel in a sliding door; also another with 'Office' on the door to a room off the passage behind. Note the decorative cast iron air vents around the rooms.
A wide doorway leads to a baronial-style lounge was originally the billiard room with a splendid fireplace of very good painted tiles with outdoor summer scenes of two lovers and a cast iron hearth, high mantle shelf with curved (find word) and central copper shield. In the 1950s and 60s the Baronial room with skylight (replaced unsafe stained glass with stained wood) was Freddie Mills Pro-Am boxing gymnasium - note the old sign for the gym is high up on the wall of the room. The floor was raised in 1970s - note the low window sills which confirm this and note the Art Nouveau patterns in the windows in the lounge.
Wonderful gents' with three massive original urinals including rare black and white mosaic tiling where your stand i.e. 6 of them, lots of colourful stained and leaded panels in windows. and there is partition around the 2 WC's and what looks like the original cistern. The main gents has been demolished and the land is now part of the car park. The former stables at the rear had until recently an old fireplace and hayloft above but are now house a motor repair business.
This Pub serves 2 changing beers and 1 regular beer.
Cricketers, Bournemouth
Source: National