Duke Of Wellington, Higher Blackley

Edwardian re-built by Holts - they acquired it c.1900 and there was a later large concert room extension. It is of brick with some stone-mullioned windows and ‘Brewers' Tudor’ first floor. The entrance leads into a large drinking lobby with ornate sash-window screening to the servery (note the swirling decoration in the glass). There are three narrow bays on the entrance passage side, wider corner bay and very wide bays at the rear - all retain their rising panels which are permanently open. Note the row of carved blue bells in the wood between the bays. The entrance lobby has a door on the right with attractively detailed woodwork that once led to the off-sales (removed when a replacement bar-back fitting added). A lounge on the rear right in an extension is opened-up to the lobby bar and has good quality (date?) fixed seating. Open staircase.

There is a separate snug on the front left with old/original fixed seating with mahogany draught screens at the end near the door having frosted starburst feature; also a good carved wood surround fireplace featuring two columns and bell-pushes. The vault on the right has a lino floor, another two sections of screened servery with one for service and the other an entrance to the servery for staff but does have a flap across it for service. Both bays have intact rising panes in the open position. The fixed seating is modernised but the old mahogany draught screens with glazed starburst feature remain. The short passage between the vault and the lobby bar has one wall with an inter-war tiled dado (but painted over). The brass panel is one of about sixty WWII war memorials in pubs around the country. Function room upstairs.